


Hidden Identity

by IantojJackh



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-17
Updated: 2013-12-29
Packaged: 2018-01-04 21:48:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 27,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1086055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IantojJackh/pseuds/IantojJackh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It began in a bar on a cold fusion cruiser with a stranger named Alonso. From there Jack's life takes a turn he never expected. CoE compliant fix-it. Janto.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Title** : Hidden Identity- Chapter 1/12 + Epilogue  
 **Author** : [](http://iantojjackh.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://iantojjackh.livejournal.com/)**iantojjackh**  
 **Rating** : PG  
 **Summary** : It began in a bar on a cold fusion cruiser with a stranger named Alonso. From there Jack's life takes a turn he never expected.  
 **Characters** : Jack Harkness, Alonso Frame, Gwen Cooper, Rhys Williams, Rhiannon Davies, Ianto Jones, Tenth Doctor, Twelfth Doctor,  
Spoilers: CoE compliant fix-it and The End of Time (DW)  
 **Warnings** : None  
 **Disclaimer** : The characters do not belong to me. I just borrowed them for a short spell. I wish I owned them so there wouldn't be the need to write fix-its like this.  
 **Total Word Count** : ~26k  
 **Beta** : [](http://timelordshines.livejournal.com/profile)[**timelordshines**](http://timelordshines.livejournal.com/)  
 **Notes** : this originally started off as a prompt from [](http://jo02.livejournal.com/profile)[**jo02**](http://jo02.livejournal.com/) from the [](http://torchwood-fest.livejournal.com/profile)[**torchwood_fest**](http://torchwood-fest.livejournal.com/) member created fest way back earlier this year. After several starts and stops, I finally finished this. Written for the [](http://longliveianto.livejournal.com/profile)[**longliveianto**](http://longliveianto.livejournal.com/) big bang. Since the deadline for that came and went a long time ago, I'm posting this now. 

  


_**Chapter 1** _

Jack looked at the paper in front of him: _His name is Alonso_. He turned to look at the man seated next to him and gave an awkward smile. Then the grieving Captain looked at the one who had given him the note. Jack's eyes flashed with betrayal, wondering where the Doctor had been when the world needed him most. Their link through the TARDIS meant there was no need for a verbal conversation. 

  
_It'll be all right. He's my final gift to you. I'm sorry for everything._

  
Sorry? Do you have any idea what I've been through? I can't. I don't...

  
Trust me, Captain. Later, ask him his story and check out the chip in the back of his neck. Then you'll thank me.  


Jack frowned when the Doctor vanished, leaving him to uncomfortably let the stranger down. He was angry at the Time Lord's arrogance that he would think that Jack would jump into bed with the first pretty thing put in front of him. Though the man next to him was very attractive, Jack did not feel right flirting or doing anything other than getting away as fast as he could, even if a man in uniform was a major turn on. 

  
"Was he a friend of yours?" Jack showed Alonso the note the Doctor had left him. "I take it you're Alonso?"

  
"That's me," the man replied. _'For now,_ ' he added silently. "I travelled with him for a bit after he saved my life."

  
"And he just left you too. He has a habit of doing that in case you didn't notice," the bitterness oozed with every syllable. 

  
"He didn't leave me. This is all part of the plan." Alonso said as he downed his drink in one gulp.

  
"So I'm part of your plan? Sorry I'm not interested in whatever it is you are selling," Jack shook his head. "I don't know what game the Doctor is playing but I don't want to play. I don't need or want any gift from him." Jack's nostrils flared as he started to get up but the stranger grabbed his arm.

  
"Wait, Jack, don't leave," Alonso pleaded. "What did the Doctor tell you about me?" He knew if it had been the whole truth this conversation would be going very differently. 

  
"He called you 'his final gift'. I don't mean to sound rude, but I can't accept. Before I would have, but I'm not the person he thinks I am. I can't. I just can't. Not after..." Jack flinched when a soft finger was pressed against his lips. 

  
"I know," Alonso said in a hushed whisper. He quickly replaced his fingers with his lips for a soft quick peck, hoping Jack would recognise it.

  
"What the hell do you think you are doing?" Jack wiped his mouth in disgust at the foreign lips on his own. 

  
"Close your eyes." Alonso pleaded, hoping that not seeing his face would help Jack remember. 

  
"No." Jack growled threateningly. "Who are you? How many times do I have to say I'm not interested?" Jack stood up and started to yell. "I don't know what game you are trying to play Doctor, but I'm not that person anymore."

  
"Let me help you. I can help you heal your broken heart," Alonso was desperate to get Jack alone. The Doctor had said he could only reveal his secret without a crowd watching and a packed bar was really not the place. 

  
"I don't have a heart.” Jack replied bitterly, “It died seven months ago. So whatever you are trying to pull, it stops here." Jack got in the face of the presumptuous stranger and was so worked up, he spat as he talked. 

  
"Ti'n llawn cachu," Alonso retorted, returning the anger thrown at him, slipping into a language that by appearances he should not know. It was a phrase he knew would get Jack's attention and it did because seconds later Alonso found his face pressed into the bar so hard that he could hardly breathe and a gun cocked to the back of his head.

  
"What did you just say?" Jack's anger boiled to epic proportions. "Who told you to say that? How do you know Welsh?" There was only person who told him he was full of shit and in Welsh no less. 

  
"Because I say that when you are being thick headed and unreasonable." That was clearly the wrong answer because the butt of Jack's gun met with Alonso's skull and everything went black.

  
When Alonso began to come to he felt one eye swollen shut and the coppery taste of blood in his mouth. His hands and feet were bound to a chair and from what the battered man could see he was in his posh room on the cruiser. Alonso opened his mouth to speak but no sound came.

  
"Now maybe you can give me some answers." Jack was clearly unhinged and rational thought had long been lost. "What are you going to do? Your Doctor isn't here to help. He said to ask you about your story. What fabrication do you intend to weave for me? What about that chip in your neck?"

  
"Hhhhh...holograph," Alonso slurred and barely got the word out. If he had to assess the situation, Alonso knew he had a moderate concussion at the least. His eyes went wide as a knife blade was pressed into his neck just over where the chip was imbedded. If it was removed without properly being disconnected, he was in for more pain than he had ever known before. 

  
"This image is only a projection? If I remove the chip then I'll see who you really are. Sounds like a good plan," Jack pressed the blade tip just far enough to begin to draw blood.

  
"No!" The words barely came out above a whisper before what felt like a million volts of electricity surged through Alonso's body as the chip was cut from him. His body seized and bodily fluids were expelled from every orifice: piss, shit vomit and everything in between.

  
Jack watched as the image of Alonso faded and gave birth to the true from underneath. 

  
“Ianto?” Jack asked in a small voice. Was this all part of the game? Ever since he woke up in the makeshift morgue, Jack had been dreaming of this moment. But this couldn’t be right. The rational part of Jack’s brain took over, beating down his already battered heart. Ianto was gone. The dead do not come back to life. That curse belonged to Jack Harkness alone. He was destined to live an eternity of losing everyone he held dear. This was not possible. Ianto could not be here. It had to be someone’s idea of a sick joke.

 ** _To be continued_**...


	2. Chapter 2

**Title** : Hidden Identity- Chapter 2/12 + Epilogue  
 **Author** : Iantojjackh  
 **Rating** : PG  
 **Summary** : It began in a bar on a cold fusion cruiser with a stranger named Alonso. From there Jack's life takes a turn he never expected.  
 **Characters** : Jack Harkness, Alonso Frame, Gwen Cooper, Rhys Williams, Rhiannon Davies, Ianto Jones, Tenth Doctor, Twelfth Doctor,  
 **Spoilers** : CoE compliant fix-it and The End of Time (DW)  
 **Warnings** : None  
 **Disclaimer** : The characters do not belong to me. I just borrowed them for a short spell. I wish I owned them so there wouldn't be the need to write fix-its like this.  
 **Word Count** : ~26k  
 **Beta** : **Notes** : this originally started off as a prompt from from the torchwood-fest member created fest way back earlier this year. After several starts and stops, I finally finished this. Also this was written for the big bang. The story is compete and I will be posting a chapter a day. So there should be no breaks in posting.

 

 

**_Chapter 2_ **

 

Jack felt like a caged animal as he waited for the imposter to awaken. That's what Jack had convinced himself that the thing still tied to the chair was. What else could it be? The real Ianto died in his arms seven months ago and there was no way this was real. He wanted so much to believe that this was real and the Doctor saying this was a gift then made sense. Bringing Ianto back to him would be a very welcomed gift, but Jack knew this couldn’t be the case. The holier-than-thou Doctor would never change the timeline for one person, especially not Jack.

 

Jack did not want to wait for answers so he was going to take them for himself. He sneered at the pathetic waste of space that was now covered in its own filth. "Serves you right for messing with me," the slightly unhinged Captain poked the unconscious form. Perhaps, slight was a bit of an understatement. "You could have made yourself to look like anyone, but choosing him was a very big mistake." The muzzle of the gun pressed into swollen area around the bruised eye, causing Alonso to groan in pain, but he showed no signs of waking up. "Now you can sit in your own filth." Jack curled his nose up at the rancid smell.

 

Several minutes passed without any further signs of reawakening, guilt and anxiety began to creep in as Jack wondered if by some small miracle this really could be Ianto? He would be super angry with being left in such a state, something about a loss of dignity. "What the..." Jack's face faltered and a knot tightened in his stomach when he saw the bruise on the man's face was already starting to fade and the wound on his neck had healed.

 

It was the last straw and Jack wrenched the imposter from the chair with such force that the binds holding him to the chair broke, dislocating his left shoulder in the process. Jack then unceremoniously dragged him to the shower, dumping him there and hastily tearing his clothes from his body. Seconds later freezing cold water was turned on the unconscious man. The shock of he near freezing water had no effect besides washing away the bodily fluids. Jack watched the water swirl down the drain until it was clear. By then the swollen eye was swollen no more and there was no trace that Jack that pummeled the man little over an hour ago. And the wound that had bled profusely was completely healed. This only gave Jack more reason to believe that this was a some perverse game. The only thing left for Jack to do so that he could receive final confirmation of this mental torture was a check of the body. He doubted whoever created the fake would go to the trouble of replicating every mark on the body.

 

Jack reached over and turned off the water, stopping to stare for a minute, transfixed by the limp body unconscious on the floor. At first glance it looked like an exact replica, but Jack was going to find the mistake if it took days.

 

He started at the top, running his hands through the wet hair. It felt like it should down to the small indent in the scalp from when Jack's front teeth nearly got stuck in Ianto's head from experimenting gone very wrong. The Welshman had put a ban on all sex for three weeks because of the permanent indentation in his head.

 

As each little nuance of the naked form matched exactly Jack's whole body began to shake, as he began to hope that the man was really Ianto. There was the small area of chest hair that did not grown back after fun with candles went awry. The birthmark in the shape of a heart on his penis. The adorable little dimple on his right buttock. Jack's eyes closed as the tears started to flow too fast to keep up. His hands explored every inch of the exposed skin and it really felt like his lost love. All the grooves and curves were the same. He smelled the same.

 

Jack felt as if his sanity had completely vanished as he took the soaking wet man into his arms and cradled him close. It was a perfect fit like it always had been. Two puzzle pieces interlocking together. "Is it really you? Can this be true? Are you really him?" Finally Jack realised the body he had been cradling had gone limp. It took a few seconds to realise he had stopped breathing too. That is when Jack completely fell apart. "No. No. I'm sorry. I take it all back. I didn't mean it. Why did you take him away from me again? Is it because I didn't believe. Was it a test I failed? If so don't take it out on him." Sobs overtook Jack as he expelled all the grief he had bottled up the last seven months.

 

**_To be continued..._ **


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Jack was too lost in his own grief to notice the body in his arms gasp back to life and it took Ianto several moments to calm Jack down and show he was alright. "No...no. This is impossible," Jack refused to see what was in front of him. "What are you?" The sobbing started up again.

"It's possible, Jack. It's really me. Nobody is playing any games with you. It was the Doctor. He helped me so I could help you." Ianto begged. He still had a hard time believing that his death had affected Jack this much. It wasn't as if Jack had never lost anyone close to him. Ianto tried to get Jack to look at him, but his eyes would not stay forward.

Jack shook his head, refusing to believe the words. "No, it can't be. You died. You are just a figment of my imagination, created by guilt and grief."

"Come with me," Ianto helped Jack up and lead him toward the bed. Jack was still in such a state that he was completely under the power of the one leading him. He would do anything asked of him. "Sit and let me get dressed and then I'll tell you what happened."

At first Jack obeyed, watching Ianto and looking for any hint that he was an imposter. After several moments of just watching and admiring the view as if witnessing it for the first time, Jack got up from the bed and stood behind Ianto, close enough so Ianto could smell the hyper vodkas on his breath.

"You never drink that much," Ianto commented but stopped as Jack's arms slid around his waist. He leaned into the embrace he had missed so much. He didn't know how to tell Jack that when seven months had passed for him, nearly two years had passed for Ianto.

Jack pressed his lips to the back of Ianto's neck, sure for the first time all evening that this was as it should be. "I'm a broken man who could not be fixed until today."

"I'm sorry." Ianto whispered. He was not sure what he was sorry for but felt the words needed to be said.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Ianto. You are here and that's all that matters.” Jack nuzzled into Ianto’s neck, comforted by the fact that it felt as real as it could. Whatever time they had this time around, Jack was not going to squander one moment of it. “How long do I have you for?" Jack knew this had to come with some restrictions and it would not be forever.

"For as long as you'd have me." Ianto turned around, smiling as he nudged Jack to the bed. "Let me start from the beginning…" He sat beside Jack and, taking his hand, began to tell the story of how he came back to life.

"The Doctor took me from Thames House shortly after you and Gwen left. He had help, but would never tell me who. He used the excuse about the fabric of time being a stake. He was able to bring me back because there was some of your residual life energy left within me and it was just enough for him to work with." Ianto paused to take a deep breath. "Had he been an hour later, it would have been too late. He did not want to bring me back, but he had no other options." Ianto contemplated telling Jack that his death was the start of a long series of events that would result in Jack wreaking havoc across several galaxies for centuries with almost a billion lives lost as a result.

\------------------------------------------------------

 

_Somewhere on the TARDIS. Somewhere in space and time_

_"This goes against everything I believe in, but you are a necessary evil, Ianto Jones." The Time Lord said with indifference as he watched Ianto gasping for air as his body healed from the toxins that liquefied his insides._

_Ianto was in too much pain to understand or even care what was being said to him. Once the pain did not have him wishing for death, Ianto had a few choice words for the Doctor mainly revolving around his treatment of Jack and his lack of help during the last few days. Though Ianto wondered if he should really berate the man that brought him back from of the brink of death. At times he swore there was a second figure lingering in the shadows that he could not make out through the haze of pain. The Doctor gave of a vibe he did not want the other figure to be there, but he had no choice in the matter._

_"It's going to hurt for a while, but in a few hours you will be fine." the Doctor watched as Ianto's eyes went wide with fear and the question that sat behind the fear: Why? "You've changed Jack, whether or not either of you admit it. But your death was the start of it all. It was a catalyst for a series of events that I'd rather not talk about...that I cannot talk about. I ran countless scenarios and the only way to prevent those unspeakable events is for you not to have died in Jack's arms, but that still had to happen in order for Jack to defeat the 456. You have to bring him out of the dark place he has sunk into. I know what you must be thinking: that you would eventually die and what's the whole point of bringing you back. The answer is simple really. It was more to do with the violent and sudden nature of your death. There was no way to just revive you so I had to do something against mine and the TARDIS' better judgment - I had to give you some of the time vortex to bring you back. She almost refused to cooperate, but it seems like the old girl likes you and chose to help."_

_The Doctor looked at his latest companion. "You aren't much of a talker, are you? If you don't want to accept the following conditions I can put you in stasis and millions can eventual die directly or indirectly by Jack's hand." The Time Lord did not wait an answer before continuing. "You can never return to Earth. There is no contacting anyone you know back home. As far as Earth is concerned you are dead and you have to stay that way. The only person who can know who you are is Jack. You will make an excellent babysitter for him."_

_Through the intense pain, Ianto managed to shoot the Doctor a dirty look for his last comment. The man was still treating Jack like he was a misbehaving child which was not right. "Why? Why do you treat him like you do? What did Jack ever do to you? He never asked for what happened to him," Ianto watched as the verbose man struggled for words. "Can't come up with an answer? I thought not. Jack is not the same man he was when you left him for as good as dead."_

_In typical Doctor fashion he avoided the real issue. "You are probably the best thing that ever happened to him. So, answer my question, are you going to help Jack or not?"_

_Ianto frowned, knowing he was being manipulated. There was no way he would say no to helping Jack. "You know I can't say no. Why ask the question if you know what my answer will be?"_

\------------------------------------------------------

"He brought you back so you could babysit me for eternity?" Jack's face showed no hint of emotion. Several seconds later he cracked into one of his trademark grins, "Does that mean if I'm naughty that you'll put me over your knee and spank me? Kinky babysitter fantasies are hot." He was trying to lighten the serious mood.

Quickly, Ianto shook his head in a negative, "No. How else will you learn?"

"What if I don't want to learn?" Jack countered. The doubt that the man was not really Ianto began to chip away. Only Ianto would withhold the kinky stuff as punishment for bad behavior, and look delicious doing it.

"Then it will depend on how naughty you've been." Ianto laughed for what seemed like the first time in forever. "Experience has shown that you respond to things better when I deprive you what you want most."

"That's not fair."

"It's not supposed to be and it works like it should."

Jack cleared his throat, "After he saved you, the Doctor brought you here to wait for me? And what's with holographic chip and the Alonso thing?" All of Jack's questions had yet to be answered and this would help with a few of them.

"Not exactly. He's not really that good with timing, is he?" Ianto stalled.

"No. The TARDIS does what it wants."

"For me, it's been two years since Thames House. I guess the TARDIS and the Doctor thought I needed to travel across the universe and through time for a bit," Ianto could see Jack getting upset that it had been almost two years and he tried to calm the agitated man with a kiss.

 

"That's not going to work. Two years! He took you for two fucking years. Why the hell would he wait that long?" There was always a first for everything, Jack Harkness was turning down a kiss.

 

"It's better than being dead." Ianto shrugged nonchalantly. "And that's the reason for the holographic chip. A dead man can't be walking around. I have to stay dead to everyone I know except you. The Doctor is a bastard for putting me in the position knowing I could never say no to helping you." Ianto was clearly distressed about the situation. But he knew there was nothing he could do and he accepted that. "I can say some really corny line about now, but you know it's not me so I'm not going to say it."

"I know what you were going to say and you do have a point, but it doesn't mean I have to like that he took you for so long."

"What’s done is done and if we are going to continue to be mad about it then it takes away from time to do this." Ianto tried to distract Jack with a kiss again, and this time it was successful. Their lips met tentatively as if it was their first kiss. The nervousness quickly melted away and their mouths opened and their tongues danced the familiar tango that had been long missed.

Jack tried to put up a fight but he was soon seduced by the enchanting Welshman. It was something Jack never thought he'd ever get to feel again so he welcomed it. Clothes were quickly discarded and Ianto was pounded into the mattress until every muscle burned in overuse. However, one of the perks of being immortal was a quick recovery period and then it was Jack's turn to become one with the mattress.

Once their energy was spent again, neither man wanted to move. Truth be told both men were afraid that if they let go they would find the last few hours to have been nothing but a dream.

"No sleeping," Jack tickled the tip of Ianto's nose to wake the Welshman who was on the verge of falling asleep.

"Hmm. I’m tired. We've got plenty of time for more sex," Ianto said as he yawned and snuggled in closer.

"I don't want more sex tonight..."

"Who are you and what have you done with Jack Harkness?"

"Very funny, Mr. Jones."

"I try, sir." Ianto's eyes closed as slumber dragged him toward her realm.

"Ianto, please listen to me." There was a sense of urgency in Jack's voice that forced Ianto awake.

"I'm listening." Ianto replied with a sleepy smile.

"I love you, Ianto Jones. I just wanted to make sure that you knew that in case I find all this wasn't real when I wake in the morning or if you are not really my Ianto. I should have said it sooner and I was an idiot for not saying it. I also need to apologise for being an absolute prat to you those last few days before you died. I just wanted to get that off my chest before you're gone." Jack never looked more vulnerable and fragile. If the wrong thing was said, he might just break and crumble to dust.

"I love you too, Jack but can we save this conversation until after we both get some sleep?" Ianto knew this was not a conversation to have while he was this tired. There was a lot they needed to talk about of what happened his last few days on Earth and it would not be a productive conversation at this point. "It's really me," he knew it was going to be a while before all Jack's doubts were gone and he would do everything to make that happen sooner rather than later. "And I'm not going anywhere. I'll still be here when you wake up. But can I please get some sleep?" It was Ianto's turn to beg. The evening had taken its toll and the Welshman really needed some rest.

"If you must," Jack happily kissed the tip of his lover's nose. "But I think I'll stay up and watch you for a bit."

"Sounds like a plan." Ianto possessively draped his arm over Jack's waist. "Just in case you decide to go anywhere."

"I could say the same about you." Jack pulled Ianto tighter into his arms and placed a last gentle kiss on Ianto's lips before sleep claimed the younger man.

Jack watched Ianto sleep, enjoying the view and looking for any sign that this wonderful time was about to come to an end. After several hours of watching and admiring, Jack was convinced that at least for tonight Ianto was not leaving and he finally fell into a much needed deep sleep.  
In the morning but closer to afternoon, Jack woke up more well rested than he had in forever. However, his heart broke when he found himself alone in the bed. It was a dream after all.

 

To be continued!!!

A/N: Sorry for evil cliffhangers. I can't help myself.


	4. Chapter 4

**_Chapter 4_ **

 

Jack's mind raced as he tried to make sense of what had happened until he noticed the paper on the pillow next to him. A note was a good sign.

 

He picked up the creamy blue paper and smiled, there was no mistaking the neat cursive:

 

_I forgot how soundly you sleep when you are really tired. I tried to wake you, but you wouldn't budge. You tried to bite me. I had a few errands to run like getting my holographic chip fixed among a few others. I should be back shortly. I'll bring food too._

_Last night was not a dream even though it felt like one._

_Love,  
Ianto_

 

Jack laughed to himself, feeling silly that he thought that Ianto was gone for good this time, but the fear was not really that silly considering the circumstances. He idly wondered what other errands Ianto had to run. Jack had to laugh that the room was tidied up except for the bed. It was a small thing, but it gave Jack a measure of comfort that things were finally on the right path.

 

Jack decided he should at least shower before Ianto got back. He could feel the stickiness of sweat and sex but having Ianto in his arms all night was worth its weight in gold. Once Jack got out of bed he realised how sore he was and could not remember the last time he felt so alive.

 

Jack took a long hot shower to clean himself and ease the sore muscles that he had not used in forever. Once he was done with the shower, Jack was pleased to find Ianto had returned and was setting up the food he had brought back. He watched and marvelled at the sight before him for several moments before joining the fun. "What did you bring back besides your very edible self?" Jack knew the smile would not leave his face for a considerable amount of time. He began to snack on Ianto's neck, ignoring the other man's feeble protests to stop.

 

"Oi, down boy. I know that look. We need to eat first and then we can play. I brought back some of the local delicacies. It's rather tasty if you ignore the colours." Ianto flashed a flirty smile, ignoring his own rules and pushing Jack away. After two years he never thought he would be able to have one of these moments again with Jack.

 

"I know I've spent some time here. You know what will make this food taste even better?" Jack asked with wolfish grin. His appetite was for more than just food.

 

"I can only imagine what you are thinking. Let me hear it and I'll let you know if it is acceptable." The smile on Ianto's face already said the answer would be yes to whatever Jack suggested.

 

"I was thinking..." Jack picked up something that looked like banana but it was purple and was warm to the touch. He broke a small piece off and held it up to Ianto's lips.

 

"I agree," Ianto said in a sultry voice as he took the piece of fruit into his mouth along with one of Jack's fingers which he sucked on and then swirled his tongue around the scrumptious digit.

 

From that moment things were like they always should have been. As the days passed into months, Jack no longer questioned if Ianto was real or a figment of his imagination. They got to enjoy life without having worry about saving a planet and had the opportunity to be a real couple, travelling the galaxy. Neither man could be happier. Ianto opened up about his childhood and his time with the Doctor and Jack told Ianto things he had never another living soul. Gone were the problems that plagued them in the days leading up to Ianto's death.

 

Ianto helped Jack begin to heal from the trauma of sacrificing his grandson. It helped that Ianto did not see him as a monster. He knew how much it hurt Jack to always have to shoulder the responsibly of the hard decisions that he was often forced to make and Ianto swore that Jack would never again have to face those hard choices alone.

 

It was almost a year into their traveling, on a planet almost two million light years from Earth, while attending a ritual bonding ceremony that was a duplicate of an Earth marriage ceremony that Ianto had the spectacular idea of having a ceremony of their own. Jack was very amenable to the idea, saying it was a perfect way to celebrate their second chance and suggested having the ceremony exactly one year to the day since they were reunited.

 

The ceremony was intimate and the only other attendee was the officiating vicar who was a lavender humanoid toad. The vows were simple and heartfelt, causing both men shed a few tears as they realised that ‘till death do us part’ had no place in this marriage. They really did have an eternity to be together, and they couldn’t be happier.

 

Their rings were made of a metal only found on this planet and were a reddish blue-black colour that changed shades depending on the mood of the other wearer. From the moment the rings were put on their fingers they shone a bright blue, singling pure unadulterated happiness.

 

**_To be continued_**...

 

**A/N** : I thought you all deserved a fluffy interlude before the action picks up again. And to all my dear lurkers out there, please leave a comment so I know what you think so far.


	5. You Can't Go Home Again

**_Chapter 5- You Can't Go Home Again_ **

 

 

Jack and Ianto made the most of their newlywed status, honeymooning on several planets while looking for one to call home. Neither man wanted to admit that the only place that ever felt like home was earth, more specifically Cardiff. They knew they couldn’t go back to live there, but the longer they travelled, the more homesick they became. Eventually they decided that a short visit wouldn’t hurt. What trouble could they cause in just a few short days?

 

Ianto could not pass on the opportunity to pick up a few mementos that he could not take with him the first time. The urge to check in on his sister and her family almost proved too much for Ianto, but he persevered and fought the overwhelming feeling. The familiar sight and smells of Cardiff brought up so many emotions that Ianto had not expected and he wanted a few hours to himself.

 

"Are you going to be okay?" Jack asked with obvious worry.

 

"Just need a little time by myself. Meet you back at the room in about three hours?" Ianto tried to convince his husband with a kiss, but Jack made a face.

 

"What?" The disguised Welshman asked.

 

"It's still weird kissing you when you look like that."

 

"We have no choice. I can't be seen as me or he will take me away." Ianto had no doubt the Doctor could do that just to teach them a lesson, even if it would go against why Ianto had been brought back to life in the first place. Ianto had to have the chip always activated when he was traveling with the Time Lord, but since he had reunited with Jack this was the first time he had to be Alonso.

 

Jack crinkled his nose. "I'll just have to deal." He gave his husband a playful but somewhat naughty kiss to prove his point. "Hmmm. Hazelnut," Jack licked his lips.

 

"Do you plan on visiting Gwen? I'm sure she'd like to see you." Ianto really wanted to visit family and friends and it hurt that the option was not available to him but it would give Jack something to do while he went off on his own.

 

"I don't know. I might head down to the bay and check on things." Jack shrugged. He worried about leaving Ianto alone, but he was not going to push the matter. "Three hours. Our room. No clothes."

 

"It's a deal." Ianto walked away to find what closure he could in the limited time he had.

 

 

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

 

Ianto found it strange visiting his own grave. It made him shiver as he stared at the plain headstone. Just as his name was carved in stone, so was the fact that Ianto Jones was born the nineteenth of August 1983 and no longer had a place on this planet. Suddenly home was not so inviting. Ianto realised that maybe it was time to start a new home, and it didn’t matter where that was, as long as he was with Jack. He placed a single red rose at the base of the headstone.

 

"Was he a friend of yours?" The voice made Ianto jump and he froze for a moment, not recognising whom it came from.

 

"We were flatmates for two years at university. Lost touch after that. " It was the first lie Ianto could come up with and one that hopefully would not lead to more questions from the stranger.

 

"What was he like?" The woman asked.

 

Ianto's paranoia perked up. "Did you know him?" Ianto asked. 'Because I certainly don't know you,' he said to himself.

 

"No," she shook her head and took a deep breath. "But your friend was close to someone I used to know...at least I think they were close, and his death did something this person and ever since I've been curious as to the type of man he was to cause my fath...him to make the decisions that he did."

 

"I don't think I can give you the answers you are looking for," Ianto said unable to look at the woman in the eyes, now knowing the woman was Jack's daughter, Alice, and the decisions she talked about was Jack using his grandson to defeat the 456.

 

"I'm just trying to understand why he what he did. How can losing one person lead you to make such an inexcusable choice?" Alice had asked herself that question countless times since she learned her father did not die alone in Thames House.

 

Ianto did not like being reminded of the day he had died. Those final moments in Jack's arms were the most painful, both emotionally and physically, that he had ever experienced. He still had nightmares remembering Jack begging that he would take it all back if it meant Ianto could live and Jack pleading with him not to leave him as he died. Ianto did not know what else to say to Alice. He knew that if Jack had not been grieving for him that there was a good chance that Steven would still be alive and that together they would have come up with another solution. "Some questions are not meant to be answered for the answer might be more painful than the wondering why."

 

"I'm sorry for bothering you. You came here to pay respect to your friend and I'm bothering you with something you had no part in." Alice knew she would never get the answers she desperately sought because she did not want to talk to her father and if she wanted to ask Jack, it seemed that he vanished off the face of the planet. Alice asked herself countless times if this man had been her father's lover because it was the only thing that made sense why Jack did what he did.

 

"It's all right. Grief..." Ianto froze as if he fell into some kind of trace. His eyes glazed over and looked straight through Alice.

 

"Grief, what?" Alice asked and then noticed the vacant expression on the man's face. "Are you all right?"

 

Ianto stood entranced until a minute later he let out a high pitched scream that lasted thirty seconds before he started speaking in an eerie, monotonous voice. "You said you would fight. Then I take it back, alright? I take it all back—but not him! Don’t go. Don’t leave me, please. They must pay for killing one of our kind." And like that the trance was broken. "It's different for everyone." Ianto finished off his statement as if nothing had happened.

 

"What was that?" Alice was terrified. She recognised what had just happen and she turned white at the prospect of the 456 being back.

 

"What was what?" Ianto asked confused. "Are you okay?"

 

"Last time it was the children now you are doing it. Not again." The distraught woman shook her head, slowly backing away as if Ianto was diseased.

 

It did not take long for Ianto to realise what Alice was talking about. "What did I say?" It was the Torchwood training to ask questions first before reacting.

 

Alice repeated almost word for word what Ianto had said and when she finished, Alice added her own commentary. "That bastard. He's not even here. The man is a bloody coward."

 

Ianto knew he had to find Jack quickly. The 456 were back and obviously looking for revenge and he wondered if them repeating what Jack had said in Thames House was the 456’s way of letting Jack and Ianto know that they knew Ianto was alive. "I've got to go." Ianto started to run off, knowing it was suspicious that he had taken off, but he had to get to Jack.

 

 

_**To be continued**_...


	6. Jack's Welcome Back

**_Chapter 6_ **

 

An hour after leaving Ianto, Jack found himself walking across Roald Dahl Plass, since the hub exploded. He reached up and touched the reconstructed water tower and realised the perception filter was long gone. Jack could not help but to wonder what became of the things below. The cool water slid through his fingers as he prepared his last goodbye.

 

Jack had to admit it was different being in Cardiff again. It did not feel right, for as much as he missed the place, it became clear to him that his home was wherever he was with Ianto and anyplace that he was no longer welcomed could not be home.

 

"Jack?" The familiar Welsh accent pulled Jack back from the painful place his mind was starting to drift.

 

"Rhys!" Jack put his bravest face forward. "It's been a while," he said softly, slipping his hands into his pocket to hide his ring. It was easier than having to deal with the questions that would surely come.

 

"Yes it has," Rhys was about to offer his hand but Jack had obviously slipped his hands away to avoid that. "You look well." He'd almost say that Jack looked very happy. A drastic change from the last time he saw him.

 

"Thanks." Jack was at a loss for words, which was very rare for him. "It was nice seeing you again. I really should be going." It was not the time for small talk and Rhys was not someone he wanted to talk to. "I'll see you around, yeah?" He did not wait for a response but was stopped before he could get very far.

 

"Oi, Jack Harkness! Where do you think you’re going?" Gwen yelled out across the Plass.

 

So much for a clean get away. Jack forced a smile and turned around. It wasn't that Jack didn't want to see Gwen, it was that he felt guilty that he could not share the news that Ianto was alive.

 

However, Gwen was not alone. Beside Rhys and an infant in a pram, there was a stern looking woman with dark coloured hair and a young girl with light coloured hair. To make matters even worse, Gwen was obviously pregnant and so was her friend. The uncertain hormones were not something that Jack wanted to deal with. "Don't you look stunning, Ms. Cooper!" Jack did what he did best and that was flirt. He approached the group with wide smile and a sense of trepidation.

 

"I'm not going to bite your head off, you daft sod," Gwen pulled her friend in for a tight hug and refused to let go. "How long have you been back?"

 

"A few hours," Jack replied, returning the embrace.

 

"Does this mean you are staying?" Gwen pulled out of the hug and took Jack's hands into hers. That's when she noticed the ring he had on. "What's this?" Gwen pointed to the ring.

 

"And look you're pregnant again. Congratulations." Jack quickly changed the subject.

 

"Don't change the subject. You got married?" Gwen asked looking between the ring and Jack's face, trying to get a read on her friend.

 

"Maybe. Kinda sort of. Met him on that cold fusion cruiser I left for last year." Jack played the semantics game. It really was not a marriage or union that would be recognised on Earth, but the perpetual grin on his face told the tale of just how happy he was. The complete opposite of Gwen's dark haired friend who’s expression soured the moment Jack mentioned marriage.

 

"That's a rather unique ring," Gwen was taken in by its beauty. "What's it made of?" Gwen allowed herself to be distracted for a moment.

 

"A metal not of this world. The colour reflects the mood of the other wearer and I would say my dear husband is very worried or agitated right now." Jack wondered if it was something other than the nerves of being back in Cardiff that was bothering Ianto since the ring had become a deeper shade of red in the last few minutes.

 

"You don't waste any time do you?" The other woman spoke up, her voice filled with hostility.

 

"And it's your concern, how?" Jack asked, not having any idea who this woman was and why his personal life was any of her business.

 

"You have no idea who I am do you?" The woman's anger boiled over at his crassness and insensitivity.

 

"Should I?" Jack said dismissively and turned to Gwen. "What the hell is your friend's problem?"

 

Gwen winced at Jack's attitude, not sure how Jack would take to the identity of the woman that was angry with him. "Jack!" Gwen leaned toward Jack to whisper the rest him. "That's Rhiannon, Ianto's sister."

 

Jack did not react. He could not react without risking exposure of his secret. "Doesn't explain why she is mad at me." Jack had a good idea why she was mad, but he had to pretend he didn't. This was the one thing neither him nor Ianto had thought about, a negative reaction to learning Jack was married.

 

"Really Jack?" Gwen narrowed her eyes, wondering if she'd have to spell it out to him.

 

"Really what?" Jack said defiantly, crossing his arms over his chest.

 

"You're a jerk." Rhiannon yelled reaching up to hit Jack, but he backed up just in time, avoiding a fist to the face.

 

"Thank you for that assessment," Jack smiled grimly, stuffing his hands onto his pockets and turning on his heel to walk away. The Captain did not get far as his body stiffened and froze in place and he let out an ear splitting scream before speaking in the eerie voice, "You said you would fight. Then I take it back, alright? I take it all back—but not him! Don’t go. Don’t leave me, please. They must pay for killing one of our kind."

 

Once the trance was broken Jack continued to walk as if nothing had happened, oblivious to the chaos unfolding behind him.

 

"Mica, look at me," Rhiannon said in a panic, lightly shaking her daughter.

 

"Oi, what?" Mica asked, not knowing why her mother was so upset.

 

Gwen and Rhys exchanged worried expressions at the familiar situation. It was just like last time with the exception that Jack had been put into the trance with the children. This time they were direct and to the point and they were obviously looking for Jack.

 

"Jack!" Gwen yelled several times, but he was clearly ignoring her.

 

Rhys knew well enough to stay out of it where Jack was concerned with his wife and he turned to Anwen, whom he now held tightly in his arms. "I thought we were done with the crazy stuff." He whispered to the infant who was amused by the craziness.

 

"The 456 are back." Gwen shouted, knowing it was something that Jack could not ignore. She did not want to believe it but what else could it be?

 

Jack stopped and turned. He was obviously not amused at Gwen's attempt to rein him in. "That is not even funny. What kind of sick joke is that?" He looked around and saw some children with some panicked parents, but he had not seen them speak in unison.

 

"Then I take it back, alright? I take it all back—but not him! Does that mean something to you?" Gwen watched as all colour drained from Jack's face.

 

"Where did you hear that?"

 

"You and every child around just said it." It did not take long for Gwen to put the pieces together and figure out where the statements came from, but she could not understand why those words were chosen. Everything came back to two words: Thames House.

 

Once Jack re-evaluated the scene and saw the fright on every parent’s face, he knew Gwen was telling the truth. "The virus." It was the only explanation if the 456 had spoken through him. And if that was true then the same must have happened to Ianto as well. Jack looked at his ring and saw it was an even deeper shade of red, if possible, than before which meant that Ianto probably experienced the trance as well.

 

"They want you, Jack. You came back and they followed." Gwen shouted as Jack took off running. "Don't run away! You've got to take care of this. Where do you think you are going? How am I supposed contact you?" Gwen was furious that Jack was running away again, not dealing with his problems.

 

Jack stopped once he realised Gwen was not going to stop. "I'm not running away. I have to check on someone."

 

"Your husband?" Gwen showed her distaste for that idea. She wondered who broke through to Jack and got him to do the one thing he swore he never would do again and why he was more important than dealing with the problem that just arose.

 

"Yes!' Jack was not in the mood for this. "We will take care of this. We're at a hotel near the arena." He purposefully left it vague, knowing there were several hotels nearby and Gwen would track them down if she wanted to. The frantic Captain did not waste any more time and ran at full sprint toward the hotel.

 

"Is he really just running away?" Rhiannon said in disbelief as she tried to hug Mica who was struggling not to be held. "Why are they back? I thought you said they were gone. What was their message about and why is he talking like the children? Was it like that last time?"

 

Gwen was in no shape to run after him and she cursed him for being vague but not so vague with where he was staying. "No..." Gwen answered distractedly as she watched Jack hurry away. She realised Jack gave the answer before he left. "It all comes back to what happened at Thames House. Jack was exposed to the virus and now he has a link to them. That message was directed at Jack. I never listened to the tapes, but by the way Jack reacted I'm pretty sure... Jack knew those words… from Thames House," she turned to look at Rhi, “I’ve got to find where Jack is staying. I need to know what is going on.” With that she hurried across the Plass towards the taxi rank, leaving Rhys alone with Rhiannon and the children.

 

Rhys let out a long sigh. He had not missed the insanity that came with Torchwood and now it was back in full force and Jack was the centre of attention as usual.

 

"Is this how it always was?" Rhiannon asked, rubbing her stomach which was being used as a punching bag. She wondered what kind of life Ianto had before he died and how he dealt with someone like Jack.

 

"Pretty much." Rhys said resigned to that fact. "I'll tell you all about it." He nodded toward one of the many restaurants by the bay so they could sit and have the long discussion of what being a family member of a Torchwood operative was like.

 

_**To be continued**_...


	7. Chapter 7

_**Chapter 7** _

 

Gwen knew that Jack was staying near the arena so that left only a couple of hotels to choose from. If she could get there first in the taxi maybe she could intercept him, or at least see which hotel he was at. She got out of the taxi just as Jack rounded the corner of Bute street. “Jack!” she called, stepping in front of him.

 

Jack pulled up short, startled and a bit angry. Gwen never gave up. She was like a bull raging in a china shop. “Gwen, what the hell?”

 

“Jack, you can’t run away from this. We have to figure out how to stop the 456.” Gwen would do whatever it took to get Jack to see the seriousness of the situation and stop him from running away again.

 

“Gwen, I am not running away. I told you, I have to check on Ia – my husband. I will deal with the 456 as soon as I know he’s ok.” He tried to shove past her, but she stood her ground.

 

“Not so fast.” Gwen made to follow him, “Me and Rhys, we can help and….”

 

Jack turned and glared at her, realising that he wasn’t going to get rid of her so easily, not until she had seen his partner for herself, “Fine. Just let me check on Alonso then we will both come and see you later and you can meet him and we will come up with a plan.” Even in Gwen’s current condition, she could be useful helping with research, and Ianto would probably enjoy seeing his old friend, even if he had to remain in disguise.

 

“Ok, dinner at my house, seven o’clock,” Gwen said, finally leaving Jack alone to check on his beloved. She got into another taxi and headed back to the bay.

 

Jack went straight to his room and was relieved to find Ianto already there and pacing the floor, waiting for him.

 

The couple immediately embraced and dropped the guards they had put up in public.

 

"Please tell me this isn't happening," Ianto took a deep breath, the emotions of his death flooded back as if it was happening again. "Are we connected to them because we were exposed to the virus? Do you know if it was just us or was it the children again?" Ianto's mind tried to process everything, but it was a hard feeling to shake that the 456 arrived hours after they returned to Earth. "I think they know that I'm alive. Their choice of words makes me think they know."

 

Jack shook his head and pulled Ianto over to the sofa to sit. "It was the kids too. I was by the Plass when it happened. Where were you?" Jack asked, assuming it was someplace where there were no kids.

 

"Visiting my grave." Ianto winced at how morbid and odd that sounded. The Welshman did not know how to tell his husband who was with him at the time.

 

"Was someone with you?" Jack asked, realising that if Ianto knew what he had said then someone must have told him and cemeteries were not usually crowded places. For now he was not going to ask what prompted Ianto's visit to his own grave, but he assumed it probably had to do with closure.

 

"Someone was at a nearby grave." Ianto replied. He was not sure why he chose to lie, but it seemed like Jack did not need the extra burden that his daughter was still furious with him and wanted answers to why he sacrificed his grandson. Ianto knew they were going to have their hands full with the 456 and he wanted to protect Jack from Alice and himself. He was afraid a confrontation would reopen the healing wounds, as if the return of the 456 did not do that already.

 

"I saw your sister," Jack said. "She was with Gwen and Rhys. By chance I happened run into them."

 

Now Ianto felt guilty about lying when Jack said he had run into Rhiannon. "How is she?" He asked excitedly.

 

"She looked well," Jack replied pressing his lips together, unsure how he would handle the news of her pregnancy or how she and Gwen were angry with him.

 

"Is that all?" Ianto was a bit miffed at the vague answer Jack gave.

 

Jack looked down sheepishly. "I really didn't have much time to talk. Both she and Gwen got very cross with me when they saw my wedding band. Both of them are right frightening when they are mad."

 

"Why would they be mad at that?"

 

"Because they think I should still be mourning you. Your sister called me a jerk and nearly punched me and I was on my best behaviour. Apparently a year and a half is not a proper mourning period. I was too happy for their liking." Jack explained. In a way he could see where they were coming from – if he didn’t have Ianto by his side he would still be in mourning - but it hurt at the same time because they thought so little of him. There was no way to contain the happiness of the amazing year he had with Ianto and knowing there was no goodbye in sight. "It's not like I can control something like this."

 

"I'm sorry. I didn't think about this happening. I thought people wouldn't care. Technically it's none of their business."

 

Jack smirked and shook his head. "You don't give yourself nearly enough credit, Ianto." He slid his arms around his husband and kissed him soundly. "You don't realise how much of an impact you had on people's lives and how much they all miss you."

 

"But it's not right that they are yelling at you for something that is the exact opposite of what's going on." Ianto pouted. Just because he understood, that did not mean he had to like the situation.

 

"Okay stop that. You are too distracting when you do that." Jack pointed out about the pouting.

 

"Fine," Ianto sighed dramatically. "Seriously what are we going to do about the 456? They know we are both here. We have to be the ones to fix this. How do they know I'm alive."

 

Jack shrugged, but also did not want to think about it. "I agreed we’d have dinner with Gwen at seven and formulate a plan. Plus she wants to meet Alonso."

 

"And probably murder him," Ianto muttered darkly.

 

"Pregnancy hormones do that to you."

 

"She's pregnant again."

 

"She is. You're going to be an uncle again as well." Jack reached out a comforting hand.

 

"Fuck. This is harder than I thought." Ianto bit his lips, burying his head into Jack shoulder as well as burying his emotions. Life was moving on without him and he could not share in their joy.

 

Jack thought it was time for an innuendo to break the tension. "But I thought you like things hard," he whispered seductively, nipping at Ianto's ears.

 

Ianto rolled his eyes and shoved Jack onto the bed and pounced on his husband, needing the distraction only Jack could offer.

 

Jack was more than happy to oblige until it was time to leave for Gwen's. Both of the men's moods had significantly improved and they looked like giddy teenagers when they arrived for dinner, unable to keep their hands to themselves.

 

 

_**To be continued**_...


	8. Chapter 8

**_Chapter 8_ **

 

Ianto and Jack knew it was not going to be an easy meal. They knew there would be questions regarding their relationship and what Jack had been doing since he left Earth.

 

What they were not prepared for was the almost frigid reception from Gwen and her acting like Alonso did not exist.

 

Rhys was forever caught in the middle and made small civilised conversation with Alonso while the two alphas in the room waged a silent battle of glares and growing hostility.

 

Gwen had kept her mouth shut throughout the meal which was difficult because she wanted to slap Jack silly. She wanted to knock sense into the immortal captain for moving on from Ianto so quickly, feeling that he was betraying her deceased friend's memory by parading his husband around the places he had started his life with Ianto. She found it difficult to believe that anyone could go from as despondent as Jack was to where he was now in a little over a year later. Then there was a part of Gwen that felt bad for Alonso, knowing that he was being strung along by Jack.

 

"He doesn't love you!" Gwen could not hold it in any longer and had to say something as she chased after the stranger who was on the way to the bathroom.

 

"Excuse me?" Ianto spun on his heel and waited for Gwen to elaborate.

 

"Jack. He doesn't love you, Alonso. I thought you should know that. You are just a substitute."

 

Ianto rolled his eyes and frowned, "I suppose this is where you tell me that you are the one he was meant to be with." He was surprised that Gwen was admitting this to him and wondered why Gwen never admitted this before.

 

"No," Gwen made a face. "Oh God, no. Has Jack ever mentioned someone named Ianto?"

 

Ianto's mouth hung open for a second, not expecting the conversation to go this way. "The name doesn't sound familiar." It was best to steer clear of his true self and part of Ianto was curious what Gwen would say about him.

 

"That doesn't sound like Jack. Ianto is someone who Jack loved very much...who he most definitely still loves and it nearly destroyed Jack when he died. Even if both of them were too dense to ever admit to each other how they felt before Ianto died. Whatever is going on between you and Jack, it's only temporary. I don't know what you did to Jack to get you to marry him. He always swore up and down that he would never get married again. I don't trust you. I don't like you. If you even think about hurting Jack it will be last thing you do. Hopefully, Jack will see you for the piece of space trash you are and realise how he is disgracing Ianto's memory with you." Gwen felt good to get that all off her chest as it had been building up since she had learned Jack had married a virtual stranger.

 

It really took everything in him for Ianto to not burst out laughing at the irony of the situation. She was angry at him and Jack because she thought Jack had moved on and Gwen had no clue that she was talking to her old friend, who the Doctor had brought back because Jack could not get over losing him and without him would destroy a part of the universe as the years of guilt and grief festered and boiled over. "Thank you for the friendly warning." he said, his voice dripping in sarcasm as there was nothing friendly about it. "But I should remind you that Jack is happy and that's all that matters. Besides, don’t you have more urgent things to worry about, like getting rid of these aliens that are seeking revenge?" Ianto added a silent thank you for defending his honour.

 

"Are you with them?” Gwen accused angrily, “The 456 took so much away from Jack last time..."

 

"Okay, hold it right there," Ianto had to put an end to this insanity. "Jack and I aren't any of your business." He knew he had to choose his next words very carefully or it could create more problems. "I'm not doing a disservice to your friend's memory. I doubt Ianto would want Jack to sit alone and be miserable. Jack is happier than he's been in a long time and I've always been the one to make him happy." Ianto cursed himself for saying too much. He was touched that Gwen was trying to defend his honour, but at the same time he hated that that she was mad at Jack because he could not tell her Jack was not doing anything wrong by being with him. Ianto slammed the bathroom door, signaling an end to the conversation.

 

Gwen stalked back toward the sitting room, where Rhys and Jack were making awkward conversation. "Why do you have to be such a jerk, Jack?"

 

"Excuse me?" Jack's eyebrows shot up.

 

"Why did you really get married? Are you pregnant? Did this Alonso get you pregnant and that's why you got married so quickly." Gwen was persistent so she could get to the bottom of this mystery. In her mind none of this made sense and it was as if she was missing a huge piece of the puzzle.

 

"So you don’t think marrying for love is a good enough reason?" Jack frowned.

 

"Christ, Jack. Did Ianto mean nothing to you? Was it all one sided?" Gwen accused.

 

"Don't even go there." Jack growled darkly, conflicted that he could not tell her how much Ianto means to him and that his relationship with Ianto was not any of her business.

 

"Why not? Do you even miss him? Because I sure do and you meant a lot more to him than I did." Gwen was not going to give this up until she got to the truth.

 

"I'm not going to even dignify that with a response." Jack refused to give an answer, knowing Gwen could tell when he was lying. The answer would have been no because he could not miss someone who was still a large part of his life and had only left to use the toilet.

 

"I think I figured out what you see in Alonso."

 

"I'm not going to play this game with you, Gwen."

 

Gwen ignored the warning tone in Jack’s voice, "He reminds you of Ianto." Gwen had seen some of Alonso's little quirks and they reminded her of her departed friend.

 

"They look nothing alike." Jack acted as if he were clueless.

 

"I know that," Gwen rolled her eyes, reminding Jack of Ianto herself.

 

"I was talking about his mannerisms. They remind me of Ianto." Gwen tried to get Jack to see what she saw.

 

"I haven't noticed." Jack shrugged. He can't help being himself, he added to himself.

 

"Bollocks," Gwen snapped, resisting the urge to slap Jack.

 

Jack shrugged, wishing he could tell her she was wrong about everything.

 

"You know you are wrong and that's why you are not saying anything."

 

Jack shrugged and smirked, "You know what? You're right, I don't love Alonso. I'm with him to fill the bottomless void that is my life. Is that what you wanted to hear? No one can ever replace Ianto. I will always love him. Are you happy now?" Jack was furious with his friend at the moment.

 

"So the truth comes out," Ianto said cooly from the doorway. "You really did marry me only because I got you pregnant? I should have seen this coming. I'm not the one your heart really wants? There is no way I can compete with the dead man whose name you've called out several times during sex." With a slam of the front door Ianto ran from the house.

 

Jack just stood there looking aghast watching the closed door, playing the part of stunned husband whose lack of commitment had just been uncovered wonderfully for Gwen, but in reality he was shocked and impressed by Ianto’s brilliance and the audacity of his plan. It was the perfect way to shut Gwen up and get them both away from her before she could learn the truth.

 

"Thank you so much, Gwen," Jack snapped. The yelling was purely for show and he was proud of his husband for his quick thinking and giving them a quick exit from her meddling.

 

"He needed to know the truth, Jack. It was only fair."

 

"You are so far off the truth, you have no idea. You have no idea how hard it is, having people always dying on me. How it's so painful to open up to people because one day they will be gone and each time it happens it fractures a part of my soul. Now I have someone who will always be there...someone I don't have to ever say goodbye to unless we chose to."

 

"This is all about not being lonely? That doesn't sound like you." Gwen was too involved in her anger to realise the implications of Jack's last statement. It did not register that Jack had all but said Alonso was immortal.

 

Jack bit the inside of his cheek, wanting to scream. "I'll stand my statement the other day. You don't really know me. I'm happy Gwen. Really, really happy. I never knew I could be as happy as I have been this past year. I didn't have to worry about anything. I got to heal and finally have a proper relationship. There is so much you don't know... You can't know. Now I have to see if you didn't ruin things." Jack took a deep breath. Everything he had said was true except for his last statement. Coming back to Earth and Cardiff had been a colossal mistake.

 

"Jack...wait. Don't leave like this." Gwen tried to grab Jack's arm but came up empty. "What about Ianto?"

 

"Don't you ever mention his name again." Jack raged. "I made my peace with everything that happened and you need to leave it be. I will handle the 456. There is no need for you to get involved in your delicate condition." Jack easily slipped into the jerk persona, to him protecting Ianto and his secret was his top concern and he would do anything to do that.

 

Jack exited the house with haste and saw the shadowy outline of his husband leaning against the car. He was shocked to see Ianto had deactivated the holographic chip while out in public, but it was what both men needed at the moment.

 

"I'm sorry," Ianto said softly, reaching out for Jack's coat and pulling him close. "It's my fault everyone is mad at you."

 

Jack shrugged it off, "They miss you. They got it in their head that you were the great love of my life and that's something I shouldn't have moved on from. If they only knew how right they were. I’d far rather them hate me than have you put into permanent stasis. History has already proven that you are the one I can't live without." Jack rolled his eyes at his sentimentality. "You don't have to say it...I know I'm going soft."

 

Ianto nodded and tenderly kissed Jack, agreeing with him. If the last year taught them anything it was that they should not be afraid to say what they really felt even it if was overly sappy. "When Gwen cornered me near the loo, she called me a substitute. I was waiting for her to say that she was the one you should be with, but she didn't. What's the point of everyone getting mad at you? It's not as if you moved on really that quickly. Why can't they mind their own business?" Ianto wanted to hit something but opted for balling his fists.

 

"Technically I didn't move on. Gwen saw how messed up I was six months after everything and I assume she's got it stuck that I would be like that forever." Jack looked down, feeling almost embarrassed to admit that. "I left Earth because I couldn't deal with it all. I didn't want to deal with it until I met a handsome sailor in a bar."

 

"And she's not wrong about not being able to get over me." Ianto said. He paused for a moment before his face brightened as he was struck with a genius idea. "Maybe I should pay her a visit as a ghost and let her know I approve of your marriage, that all that matters is that you are happy and she should not dwell on the past."

 

Jack laughed at the idea. It was crazy, evil and most importantly it might work if done just right and given the way their minds worked together, Jack was sure they could pull it off. "And your holographic chip can make this work. Make her think she's seeing a ghost and once you've got your point across you can turn into Alonso and pretend you are looking for me. You have a deliciously evil mind dear husband of mine." It never ceased to amaze Jack the way their minds easily came together and gave birth to brilliant ideas.

 

"Is that the only thing about me that you find delicious?" Ianto asked without thinking. He licked his lips, wetting the dry skin. It was as if a switch flipped inside him and Ianto did not care about what had just happened in Gwen's house. It was the adrenaline pumping through his veins that brought back memories of Weevil hunts and dodging danger and how exciting it was.

 

"I find everything about you delicious."

 

Someone's feeling a bit horny," Ianto looked at the deep rich blue hue of his ring.

 

"I'm not the only one." Jack held up his hand, displaying his ring which was the same colour.

 

"What's wrong with us?" Ianto chuckled. "With everything going on, why can I only think about wanting shag you senseless?" He let out a long breath that sounded almost like a moan.

 

"We're newlyweds. It's expected of us," Jack grinned his mega-watt smile before lowering his head and doing very naughty things to his husband's neck and ear.

 

"Hmm." Ianto threw back his head, the back of his head connecting with the door with a thud. He ignored the pain as whatever Jack was going with his teeth while alternating between biting and sucking felt infinitely better.

 

"You like that, don't you?" Jack teased as he kissed his way from Ianto's ear to his Adam's apple. It was obvious both men had become aroused and felt warm despite the cool evening.

 

Ianto's mind became clouded with desire and he could not string coherent thoughts together. He managed to babble a mix of English and Welsh words that did not make sense together, but gave the impression that he wanted to be taken by Jack right here and now.

 

Jack had just begun to unzip Ianto's trousers and slip his hand inside when he heard a scream. The two men jumped apart and Ianto quickly tucked himself back in.

 

"Fuck." Ianto muttered as his sister stared in shock at the amorous couple.


	9. Chapter 9

**_Chapter 9_ **

"Hello?" Ianto said, the words coming out more as a question than a statement. He shared a panicked look with Jack as his arm slid around Jack's waist.

"What's going on?" Rhiannon finally found her voice. "What do you mean ‘hello’? Is that really you, Ianto?" He reached out for her brother, but Ianto flinched away and he held Jack in the way to stop her getting too close. The confused woman did not know if what she was seeing was real or not, but what kind of hallucination involves seeing your brother in a compromising position with the man he was involved with when he died?

Ianto thought quickly but carefully on how he was going to handle this. They had got wrapped up in a moment and now had to find a way out. Deep down he knew there was only one way. "Do you have some on you?" He whispered to Jack.

"It's at the hotel. Are you sure you want to do this?" Jack knew his husband well enough that he was talking about having to Retcon his sister after telling Rhiannon the truth. Perhaps this would help relieve some of the guilt they were hiding, even if for only a short time. Jack stole a quick glance over at Rhiannon who was clearly irritated and waiting for an answer. It was an angry stare Jack knew well. "She's got that same look you get when you get mad at me."

"Oi, I asked you a question," Rhiannon did not wait for an answer and pushed Jack away. "Why do you look like my brother and why are you with him? Ianto’s dead because of him." The Welshwoman's fury was directed at Jack, seizing the moment to give Jack what he deserved, what she did not have the chance to do earlier.

Ianto put himself between his husband and his sister. "Because it's really me. Jack is not responsible for getting me killed, I went willingly with him into the MI5 building. We had to stop the 456 but everything went wrong."

Rhiannon shook get head, refusing to believe what she was seeing. "Is this a sick game of yours?" An accusatory finger was pointed at Jack. "Ianto is dead. So I want to know what this is in front of me." She grabbed Ianto's face, looking to see if it was some realistic mask he wore.

"Nobody is playing any games. It's a long story, but I'm not dead anymore. Can you get your hands off me, Monkey Breath, so I can explain?"

"What did you call me?" hearing her childhood nickname, Rhiannon let go of the face she had been manhandling.

"You called your sister Monkey Breath?" Jack started to laugh but was met with angry faces from the Jones' siblings. "Um. I'm just going to wait in the car." Jack made a quick exit, giving the pair some time alone.

"How is this possible? Gwen saw your body." A sudden flash of anger coursed through Rhiannon's body. "Wait! Does Gwen know? She just called me because she was angry at Jack." There would be words exchanged if Gwen knew and did not say anything.

Ianto shook his head. "Gwen has no idea who I really am. She sees me like this," he reached up and activated the chip. "To her my name is Alonso and I'm just some random person Jack picked up in a bar. She doesn't like Alonso very much." Ianto then deactivated the chip and returned to his natural form.

Rhiannon watched in awe as Ianto changed in appearance and voice and then changed back. "Bloody hell!" The dam holding back the tears broke and Rhiannon began to sob and threw her arms around Ianto and refused to let go. "Must you always be cavalier about things. It's not as if you stepped out to the shops." It infuriated the Welshwoman that Ianto was so blasé about apparently coming back from the dead. "Do you have any idea how much everyone missed you?"

Ianto knew he was not taking this seriously enough. "I know. If that was not the case I would still be dead." His gaze shifted toward Jack who looked like he was not listening in on the conversation, but it was obvious he was. "Gwen's been giving Jack a lot of flak about me and he said you yelled at him too."

"He's the reason you're here, isn't he?"

"Yes." Ianto almost looked embarrassed to admit it. "Everyone's being so hard on him and I wanted to tell you all to stop it, but I couldn't."

"It's because the way he treated you that we were mad at him. He came back like nothing happened. Happy and not a care in the world. Like he didn't miss you at all and now I see why. There isn't any reason to be mad at him is there?"

"None at all. I’m only alive because he couldn’t deal with losing me. He fell apart so completely when I died that it set in motion a series of incredible events that led to me being brought back.”

"And for clarity sake, you're the one he's married to, right?" Rhiannon just wanted to make sure.

Ianto nodded and held up his hand, showing his ring. "For a month now."

"Are you happy?" Rhiannon did not need an answer to that, the permanent glow on Ianto's face said everything that needed to be said.

"Never been happier," Ianto grinned and rocked on his heels. "We shouldn't be having this conversation here. There is so much I need to tell you but not here. I can't really be seen in public without the disguise. You should come back with Jack and me to our hotel where we can talk about this in private."

Rhiannon crinkled her faced in confusion, wondering what the disguise was all about, why he couldn’t just announce he was back, tell everyone there had been a mistake and he’d never died? "What about my car?" She had to admit happy really suited her brother, a far cry from the nervous wreck he was the last time she had seen Ianto.

"I'll drive you back when we are done." Ianto said in a tone that left no room for argument.

"Wouldn't it be easier if we just drove in my car and Jack could meet us at the hotel?"

Ianto shook his head, trying to think of a good excuse on the fly. "We can't risk it. You shouldn't be seen alone with me. If Jack is with us it will at least make sense. If anyone says anything you have to pretend to be mad at Jack." Ianto was rather pleased with the excuse he came up with.

"Whatever is best." Rhiannon got into the back seat, a little worried. It felt to her like Jack was taking charge and keeping her brother on a very short leash. What she didn’t realise was that Ianto was the one in complete control of this situation.

Rhiannon's assessment of the circumstances changed as she watched the couple in the front seat acting the way newlyweds should: the stolen longing glances at red lights, the way they laced their fingers together between gear shifts and the way they bickered over what radio station to put on. Clearly they were two people who were deeply in love with each other. It brought tears to her eyes to see her brother finally being able to be happy and relaxed.

It was mesmerising to watch them interact and Rhiannon paid more attention to them than to where they were going until Ianto suddenly yelled, "Shit. What are you doing?" She watched in horror as the car went up and over the island that split the street in two and toward the entrance to the car park.

"It saves us from going around the one way system to get in," Jack shrugged.

"You are never driving again. That's it." Ianto shook his head, glaring sternly at Jack.

"But I didn't hit anyone." Jack did not see what the big deal was.

"Not the point," Ianto sighed shaking his head as Jack punched in the code to the car park.

"Spoilsport." Jack stuck out his tongue and Ianto beat his husband at his own game leaning over and flicking Jack's tongue with his own before teasing it with his teeth.

Rhiannon cleared her throat as loudly as she could to get both men's attention. "Did you forget you weren't alone?" This all still felt like a bizarre dream that Rhiannon would wake up from any moment and find that Ianto was still dead.

"Um, sorry." Ianto's faced matched the same shade of deep scarlet as Jack's.

"We are still getting used to this whole being married thing and that I never have to say goodbye to Ianto ever again." Jack said with a gleeful grin.

"You don't need to suck up her." Ianto teasingly pointed out. "I think knowing I'm alive because of you is enough."

Rhiannon noted that this was not the first time that her brother had said he was alive because of Jack, so she had to ask "What do you mean you're alive because of him?"

Jack opened the car door for his sister-in-law and put on his best smile, "It's a long story."

"So we'd better start at the beginning." Ianto picked up where Jack left off and nodded toward the lift. "Upstairs preferably."

Jack nodded in agreement. "Since it might take a while. We've got a sofa and chairs."

No one could argue with Jack's logic and the three headed up to Jack and Ianto's room. The couple could not help but to hold hands on the ride and steal several smouldering glances.

The looks made Rhiannon a little uncomfortable but she could not argue that Ianto was happy and had to ignore it.

"Please sit," Ianto directed his sister to the sofa.

"Do begin." Rhiannon did not waste anytime wanting to get to the truth.

Jack and Ianto exchanged looked, wordlessly asking which of them was going to tell the story.

Jack nodded, telling Ianto, it was his place to tell since it was his sister. "So, this is it. It started a long time ago, long before I met Jack. Jack met a man during the London Blitz."

Rhiannon stopped Ianto there, clearly Jack did not look like he had been around in the 1940s. She had assumed there was at most a fifteen year difference between the men. "That's not possible."

"It is." Jack cut it.

"Just let me finish. I'll explain it in all good time." Ianto said evenly, shooting a hard glare at the woman for interrupting him. "This man is an alien. He looks human but is in fact a Time Lord called the Doctor and with the help of his sentient space ship can travel through time and space with the ship accessing the power of the time vortex. They travel through space and time, helping people. Jack gave his life so the Doctor and his companion could escape from a dangerous situation some time in the distant future on a satellite orbiting Earth. Something happened to Jack there and some of the time vortex was transferred into him and now he cant die."

"Can't stay dead. I've died many times, but I always come back." Jack added, squeezing Ianto's hand to give him strength. A strength they both needed, knowing they would eventually have to Retcon Rhiannon, but part of it felt freeing to off load this secret life they've been living.

Ianto took a deep breath before continuing. "And because of that Jack is a fixed point in time. Time just kind of happens around him but has little or no effect on him. He never ages."

Rhiannon sat there listening in amazement and disbelief. "How old are you?" She directed the question to Jack. So much for a fifteen year difference.

"About two thousand years old, give or take a few decades."

Rhiannon's jaw dropped, finding the whole situation incredulous. There was no way anyone could live that long and not look a day older than forty. "Did you know about this when you got involved with Jack?"

"I had my suspicions. There were rumours about Jack I heard when I worked in London. And, well, early on our relationship was less than altruistic, but when things turned real between us, I knew what Jack was. You don't need to worry about what we were to start. It only matters what we are to each other now and what we will be in the future." Ianto felt like he had to clarify some things before Rhi jumped to her own conclusions about his marriage.

Rhiannon still was lost and did not understand what was going on. Her head was starting to pound as the insane tale was weaved before her.

"Do you want something to drink? Water? Tea? Coffee?" Ianto asked, finding an opening to slip her the Retcon.

"Water is fine. Thank you." She answered, still not satisfied with the answers she had received. "You told me a nice story albeit a crazy one, but I don't see what it has to do with Ianto not being dead anymore."

Ianto disappeared into the bathroom to get a glass and the retcon, his hands starting to shake slightly. When he re-entered the main room he continued the story as he stood at the desk in the room, pouring the waters.

"I died. I was really dead. The alien’s virus killed me and everyone in Thames House, including Jack. The words that the 456 made us say today were said by Jack after they released the virus. He tried to bargain with them not to kill me and then when he begged me not to die." Ianto started to lose control of his emotions and his voice cracked. "I'm sorry it's still a little hard to talk about that day." A few tears slipped unchecked from his eyes and he took a deep shuddering breath. It was then he realised, he could not go through with his. How could he really Retcon his own sister?

"Hey, it's okay," Jack whispered as he came up behind his husband and slid his arms around him. "You can do this." He said encouragingly and quiet enough so Rhiannon could not hear. "I have faith in you." Jack closed his hand around Ianto's closed one that clutched the white pill in it. "I love you." Jack placed a tender kiss at the back of Ianto’s neck, hoping his words offered enough encouragement and support to do what needed to be done despite the obvious pain the decision was causing.

"Thank you." Ianto's panic was tempered by the support he knew me had from Jack no matter what his choice was. He dropped the pill into the glass of water and watched as it dissolved before handing the Retcon-laced water over.

"I'll pick up where you left off." Jack said reassuringly. It was his side of the story and it would be best if it came from him.

"After what happened at Thames House I began to fall apart. I was broken and I had lost the love of my life and my grandson and because of that I fell into a deep depression. I had never told Ianto how I really felt about him. After killing myself twenty times I realised that pain would never go away." Jack flinched hearing the gasp from Ianto. He had never shared that bit of news with his partner, knowing Ianto would be disappointed with him but now seemed like an appropriate time. Jack waited for the admonishment, but instead Ianto offered comfort by way of a tight hug and a kiss.

Rhiannon slowly sipped on her water as he listened to Jack speak. She finally saw how wrong she had been about him. When he did not show up for Ianto's funeral, she had assumed that Jack was a callous bastard, not thinking he was the most devastated one of them all.

"Rationally I knew I had to get on with things, but I had changed. Rationality is lost with a broken heart. Nothing mattered to me anymore. I was a hollow empty husk of a person starting down a very dark and dangerous path. Then I left Earth, not able to stay here anymore. It was too painful. Some mornings when I first wake up, for a second I expect to find the past year was all a dream and I'm still that empty shell." Jack paused, realising how hard it was to recount those seven months of darkness.

"I was apparently on a course to cause havoc and destruction across the galaxy, resulting in the loss of countless lives. From what the Doctor told Ianto once he realised what was going to happen, he went to save the galaxy as he had so many times before and he found his me at the centre of it all. It was never supposed to happen, time had got thrown off track. He traced through time to see what caused me to turn onto the destructive path and what options there were to prevent it and he came up with only one solution."

"And that solution was me. My death was the trigger. I was taken from the temporary morgue at Thames House by the Doctor and with the help of his ship he used the time vortex to bring me back to life, but the only way to do it was to make me like Jack."

Rhiannon yawned, suddenly feeling very drowsy. However she fought it still wanting more answers. "You mean like him as in you'll never die?"

"Exactly. Both of us will literally live until the end of time. But the Doctor couldn't just prevent my death because it had to happen no matter what. The 456 was a major part of Earth's history and Jack using his grandson to defeat them was part of that. He would never have done that if I was by his side. We probably would not have come up with a plan in time before the children were taken. So I had to stay dead to Jack until he left Earth."

Rhiannon was losing the battle to stay awake, she wondered where the sudden fatigue came from. "Why can't you just tell everyone they made a mistake and you didn't die?"

"It's part the Doctor's rules. I think it might have to due to with the 456’s role in history and that I figured heavily into it all." Ianto explained it the best he could. The Time Lord had never given him a concrete reason why, but he assumed it had to do with not disturbing the time line too much.

"Who's to stop me from telling everyone it was a mistake?" Rhiannon countered. She did not like the idea that she would have to keep this secret.

"I could ask you nicely, but I know it won't work." Ianto said grimly. "Once you fall asleep, you won't remember this conversation or seeing me. You just know Jack isn't the monster you believed him to be."

"What do you mean? I don't want to forget this." The pregnant woman started to cry, slowly succumbing to the effects of the Retcon.

"I gave you a pill that will make you forget. The last thing you'll remember is driving to Gwen's house and you won't blame Jack for what you think happened to me." Ianto choked on his words feeling like the worst brother ever for making Rhiannon forget he was alive.

"You drugged me? You bloody bastard. You're just like dad." Rhiannon felt betrayed and hurled the worst insult she thought possible.

"I'm sorry. I had to." Ianto turned away from his sister in her last moments of consciousness. Comparing him to their dad was like a knife to the gut, but in a way he knew it was deserved.

Jack comforted Ianto, rubbing his back as he watched Rhiannon struggle to stay awake finally losing consciousness two minutes later.

"She's asleep," Jack whispered, kissing away the hint of a tear in the corner of Ianto's eye.

Ianto quickly pushed all of his emotion as far down as he could and began to give Jack the orders of what they were going to do.

They carried Rhiannon to the back lift, that went right into the car park to avoid any of the hotel staff and worried looks. They quickly drove back to Gwen's house and put Rhiannon back in her car and before closing the door, Ianto kissed his sister’s cheek and offered one last apology.

Jack set off the car alarm for good measure so Rhiannon would be found soon and they disappeared around the block so they could wait and put the next part of their plan in motion, having Gwen visited by a ghost.

**_To be continued_...**

 **End a/n** : The island Jack drove over was inspired by actual events. When timelordshines and I were in Cardiff four months ago. While we did not drive over it like Jack (though it might have been fun). Going around in circle for a while was a great way to break the ice and kick off what was an incredible few days that followed. So, yup, Jack and Ianto are staying in the same hotel we stayed in, which is really near the arena.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

 

"Damn car alarm," Rhys sighed as the blaring sound went into its fifth minute. "That's going to wake Anwen pretty soon." He went to the window to see what car was causing all the noise and if he recognised it to know which neighbour to tell off. He recognised the car, but it did not belong to any neighbour. "Gwennie, isn't that..."

 

Gwen panicked when she saw Rhiannon's idling car was the source of the incessant honking in front of her house and she grabbed Rhys to go and check on her.

 

Rhiannon was clearly slumped over the wheel and Gwen’s heart stopped, assuming the worst had happened. Gwen threw the car door opened and immediately checked for a pulse and was very relieved to find one.

 

"Rhi, can you hear me?" Gwen tried to rouse the unconscious woman.

 

"Bloody bastard," Rhiannon slurred the words so they were almost unrecognisable. She was still mostly unconscious and tried to fight her way out of the fog.

 

Rhys looked worried and turned to look at his wife who looked murderous rather than worried. "What is it?"

 

"I so hope I'm not wrong with this," Gwen sighed as she shook her head and closed her eyes. She had a sick feeling that she knew exactly what was going on here and she hoped to everything that she was wrong.

 

"What is it? What's going on?"

 

"Help me get her inside." Gwen snapped, not angry with Rhys but beyond angry if she was right about Rhiannon being Retconed.

 

It was difficult to manoeuvre, but Gwen and Rhys finally got Rhiannon inside, settling her on the couch.

 

"Shouldn't we call 999?" Rhys asked the obvious question. Something was wrong with their friend and a trained professional would be able to handle everything.

 

"You...like dad." Rhiannon slurred, opening her eyes slightly.

 

"She's been retconned. " Gwen said without any doubt. It was clear to her what was going on and there was only one other person with access to the amnesia pill. "I'm going to kill Jack. What the hell is he thinking?"

 

"No. Jack good. He's not bad. He loves Ianto. No mad at him." The semi-conscious woman tried to string together something that made sense and hoped Gwen and Rhys would understand. "No hurt him. He happy. He nice. Be nice to him. He was broken. Now he better."

 

"Can Retcon do that?" Rhys asked, noticing the changed attitude to toward Jack. Earlier she was ready to claw his eyes out and now Rhiannon was defending Jack. It was as if she was brainwashed.

 

"Given in the right dosage it can be used to also plant suggestions, like Jack did at our wedding." Gwen's face flared with anger and she never thought Jack could stoop this low. "He's gone too far."

 

"Leave him alone!"

 

Every time Gwen tried to say something negative about Jack, Rhiannon would defend him and get belligerent. After a half hour, Gwen finally gave up knowing she was not going to get anywhere and it was best to let her sleep off the rest of the Retcon effects before attempting to talk about what happened.

 

Rhys helped Rhiannon to a spare bedroom while Gwen called Johnny to let him know his wife was spending the night and not to worry.

 

That left Gwen to seethe for the rest of the night. She knew Jack would not pick up any calls to his room, expecting it to be her to read him the riot act and going to the hotel was not an option. So all she could do was let her anger stew and bubble and hope it did not boil over before she could confront the Captain.

 

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

 

Gwen could not sleep as she was still beyond furious with Jack for retconing Rhiannon and now the smug bastard had pulled a disappearing act. It was the sign of a guilty conscious that he would not face them.

 

"I'm disappointed in you, Gwen."

 

The voice made the pregnant woman jump. "Excuse me?" Gwen was sure she was dreaming and she pinched herself to wake up.

 

"Why are you being so hard on Jack?" Ianto made sure he stayed in the shadows, revealing enough to be just a shadowy figure.

 

"This is not happening." Gwen rubbed her eyes. "You're not here. I'm dreaming. "

 

"Perhaps you are and I'm a manifestation of your guilt or maybe some residual rift energy let me come back to let me tell you to not be mad at Jack." This was Cardiff after all and the impossible was always impossible.

 

"You aren't mad at him? He off and married the first space whore that he found. You should be the one he's married to."

 

"He and I would never have worked with the way things were going before I died. We were destined to fail. Jack is happy and that's all that matters. He found a second chance at true happiness. Don't ruin that for Jack or you will lose him for good. He's not staying here forever. All I ever wanted is for Jack to be happy and he finally has that."

 

"But I don't think it's right what he's doing."

 

"This isn't about you. After all the pain Jack has been through, he deserves to be happy. Let him be happy...as a favour to me."

 

"Why are you visiting me and not him? Do you know he retconned your sister tonight? She's pregnant. Having a boy in four months. What if it harmed the baby."

 

Ianto winced, feeling guilty Jack got the blame for what was his idea. "Jack has his reasons. He would never do anything that might harm the baby. Jack deserves to be happy. Let him be happy. His marriage is a good thing for him. He was on a dangerous path until he met his husband." Ianto was satisfied that he had gotten through to Gwen the best he could and activated his holographic chip and began the next phase of his plan.

 

"I refuse to believe it." Gwen snapped.

 

"Who were you talking to?" Ianto in Alonso persona stepped out of the shadows. This was the only way he could make a clean exit.

 

Gwen was flummoxed and frightened at the sudden appearance of Alonso. "What are you doing here? How did you get in here?" She did not want to seem crazy and ask if he had seen and heard a ghost or whatever it was.

 

"I was looking for Jack. Have you seen him?"

 

"No why would I? I haven't seen or heard from him since he ran out to find you." Gwen inched over to find the nearest knickknack she could make into a weapon.

 

"He never came back to the hotel. What did you say to him, other than I shouldn't be the one he is married to. You aren't going to give up on that one are you?" Alonso sighed as if annoyed she was getting in the way of his happiness with Jack. "I just heard you say it."

 

"I...I didn't say anything like that."

 

"Don't lie. You were carrying on a conversation with no one. You called me a space whore. I’m guessing you were imagining you were talking to the lover Jack lost, since you said that he should be the one Jack was married to." Ianto said evenly and without emotion.

 

Gwen's mouth floundered as she tried to come up with an excuse but realised that she could not hide what she had been doing, "You didn't see or hear anything?"

 

"No," Ianto shook his head. "Maybe your subconscious is feeling guilty for the way you've treated Jack. I might not be from this planet, but I think the same rules of friendship apply where I'm from and that is a friend should be happy for another friend when they find happiness. I know you are never going to like me, but perhaps for Jack's sake can you maybe at least tolerate me. Jack and I are only staying until the 456 are dealt with. After that he will be gone forever. You don't want to end things on bad terms do you?" Ianto only prayed that this would work. He'd hate to leave things on bad terms, but Gwen was as stubborn as the Welsh came.

 

Gwen clenched her jaw, hating that the man that she despised was right. "How can you defend him knowing he doesn't love you?"

 

Ianto smiled and shrugged. "It takes a special kind of person to love Jack. To truly love him for everything he is and not love him for the idolised hero most see him as. I know how broken Jack was when I first met him on that cruiser. Jack is just starting to see that it was all right to be happy again and you had to lay this guilt trip on him. What kind of friend does that?" Ianto knew he was putting it on thick, but that was the only way to get through to Gwen sometimes.

 

"Who do you think you are? You don't know me. I've known Jack a lot longer than you have, Alonso. I know what's best for Jack and it's not you." Gwen clenched her fists, unable to see any truth other than her own.

 

"I think the only one who knows what's best for Jack is Jack. Perhaps you should trust his judgment. Did you stop to ask Jack what he wanted? There's a lot about me you don't know and if you knew the truth you would not be treating Jack like you are. Did your dead friend have any sage advice for you in your imaginary conversation just now?" Ianto asked, hating that he had to do this, but he did not want to leave Earth with Jack and Gwen mad at each other.

 

"That is none of your business." Gwen replied snidely. She was not going to give Alonso the benefit of knowing he was right and that the apparition of Ianto had been right too. She had to let Jack be happy even if that meant he had to move on from Ianto. "I think you should leave now. You break Jack's heart and I'll break you."

 

"Duly noted." Ianto quirked a small smile. "I should see if Jack returned to the hotel." Ianto made his exit and headed toward where Jack was waiting in the car.

 

"How did it go?" Jack asked as his husband entered the car. The worry was written all over Jack’s face. He reached up and deactivated the holograph, this being a conversation he needed to have with Ianto.

 

"I'm not sure if it was Ianto or Alonso or maybe a combination of them both that got through to her. But I'm sure it worked. I really had to get her to see that she did not want you to leave with her mad at you. She will never like Alonso and I'll just have to live with that." That hurt Ianto, but at least Gwen would not hate both of them. "It makes it easier to deal with her hating him because she thinks Alonso is replacing me. It's kind of touching when you think about it. At least Gwen won't stay mad at you." Ianto allowed a small smile.

 

"Now we go back to celebrate." Jack put the car in gear and drove back to the hotel with haste. He was hornier than he had been in a long time and that was saying something since the past year they were in a perpetual state of arousal . Proper time and place did not register with them.

 

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

 

The lift ride to their twentieth floor room felt like an eternity for Jack and Ianto and neither man could keep their hands to themselves.

 

"You were absolutely brilliant," Jack was proud of his husband for the flawless execution of his plan.

 

"We have to wait and see if it worked." Ianto felt guilty for deceiving Gwen and drugging his sister, but it had to be done.

 

"We need to celebrate." Jack whispered before he attacked the back of Ianto's neck as the other man now fumbled with the key card to get into the room. Jack deactivated the chip with a well placed flick of his tongue.

 

It took a dozen attempts before Ianto's successfully put the card into a slot. "You never have that problem slipping your card into my slot," Jack taunted as he plucked the card from Ianto's hand and put it into the slot so the lights could turn on. "See that's how it's done." Jack paled when he saw someone sitting on the edge of their bed, dressed in dark jeans and a plum coloured jumper.

 

**A/n:** interesting place to leave today, no? Sorry for not posting yesterday. Things got a bit busy. I'll put up chapter 11 later today.


	11. Chapter 11

**_Chapter 11_ **

 

"What are you doing here?" Ianto said, anger seeping into his voice. "You're dead."

 

Jack reached for his gun which was not there and instead lunged for the intruder.

 

"The same can be said for you Mr. Jones, I mean Mr. Frame." John Frobisher said with a sardonic smile.

 

"What are you playing at, Frobisher?" Jack pulled the man up from the bed and threw him against a wall.

 

"I guess I deserve that."

 

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't snap your neck?" Jack was blind with rage as he crushed the other man into the wall.

 

"Because if it was not for me, Ianto would never have got out of Thames House."

 

Ianto gasped as the realisation hit him. "It was you. You were there, weren't you?"

 

"Very astute of you, Mr Jones. You always had an eye for detail."

 

"What's going on?" Jack asked as he turned to Ianto, knowing the truth would never come from the one to blame for the whole situation.

 

"I always felt there was someone else on the TARDIS besides the Doctor when I was recovering. But why you? Everything was your fault. If it wasn't for you none of this would have happened. I wouldn't have died. Was this your way to atone for your transgressions? Why did you call me Mr Frame? How do you know that name?" Ianto was the angriest he had been in a long time and a deep seeded rage boiled within.

 

"Yes, I understand both your anger. However those events had to happen exactly as they did for everything to work." John tried to explain, but it was obvious neither man was listening to him, blinded by rage and hatred. "I was the one who came up with the idea to create Alonso and use that holographic chip in your neck. But you broke one of my rules to never come back to Earth and with that you brought back the creatures that killed you in the first place." Frobisher reached into his coat and pulled something out. "I'm sure you recognise what this is, Jack?"

 

"I've got one of those too," Ianto said unimpressed, and with a roll of his eyes. "Is that a pocket watch or stop watch?"

 

Jack's reaction was very different as he watched in awe interlaced with seething anger. "That's no ordinary watch, Ianto. It's a special kind of fob watch." He knew with his husband's knowledge of the archives that he would understand what me meant; the kind of fob watch that locked away a Time Lord’s essence , making them human. "You're a bastard." Jack took a hard swing at the man he now realised was the Doctor.

 

The Time Lord let the punch connect once. Jack had lost and hurt the most from his actions and he still owed the Captain a lot for everything he had put the immortal man through.

 

"Jack, let me explain." The Doctor held his hands up in defence to stop another blow.

 

"Why should I? Give me one reason why I should listen to anything you have to say?"

 

"Because I changed time twice to save the millions that would have died and to stop this planet from turning in on itself." The Doctor began to explain.

 

"Twice?"

 

"The first time the 456 came they did not even speak through the children. They just took twenty five percent of the children without warning. The World’s government were caught completely off guard. They had no way to track or identify the aliens and no idea how to deal with them. The loss of all those children caused the world to spin into chaos and everyone turned on each other. UNIT blamed Torchwood and Ms. Cooper and Mr. Jones were tried and convicted and publicly executed by firing squad. It was a farce of a trial. It really was a tribunal consisting of UNIT top brass whom had already had only one verdict in mind. It was their way to make rationalize and clear their conscious about executing two innocent people. As for you Captain, you were sent to uncharted territory in Antarctica with nothing resembling cold weather gear. It was barbaric, but with a quarter of the children, people wanted to blame someone and Torchwood was the scapegoat."

 

"That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard." Ianto growled. As if he could believe a story like that.

 

"Believe what you want, Mr. Jones. You are proof that what I said is the truth. Well proof that I changed, a prior regeneration at least, the timeline once. The one that came before the one that came before me was a smug bastard. The first time the regeneration between us did not exist. He was only created because I decided to not let all those children be taken. As much as the Doctor hated what the Time Lords stood for, he was more like them then he cared or dared to admit. In order to stop the children from being taken, I had to put my Time Lord essence into this fob watch and make sure I was in a position to deal with the 456 when they arrived."

 

Both Ianto and Jack's heads were spinning, not sure what was fact and what was fiction. The tale weaved by the doctor was like a jumble of knots trying to pass itself of as a beautiful pattern. It just didn't work and it made no sense. "But why didn't you save me yourself then?"

 

"I couldn't directly interfere more than I already had. The resulting temporal storm could have wiped out a large part of this section of space. So I put some pressure on my previous self. I told him what happened the first time with the children. However I miscalculated the impact that losing you and Steven would have on Jack. Having you die in his arms created all these cracks in him and then being forced to sacrifice his grandson fractured those cracks and started the decent into the dark oblivion you were told about. My two selves ran countless simulations and the only way to save all those people was for Jack to have his moral compass back in his life and there was only one way to do that."

 

"I'm hardly fit to be someone's moral compass." Ianto shook his head. He and Jack were good together but he wouldn't call himself a moral compass for his husband.

 

"You have been good for Jack. You've changed him. What make it work is because you'd never asked him to change, you accepted him for who he was and yet are capable of putting Jack in his place when he needs it. He changed because he wanted to and that's the only time a person can really change." The Time Lord gave Jack a fond but sad smile.

 

Jack and Ianto exchange bemused looks as the Doctor talked about their relationship. He was unlike any previous regenerations and it made Ianto wonder if some of the Time Lord's attitude was because of guilt over his previous treatment of Jack.

 

"You aren't going to put Ianto into stasis because we broke your rule of never returning to Earth?" Jack asked, gripping Ianto's hand tightly afraid of the answer.

 

"Of course not. While I'm disappointed that you did not listen to me, I can see why you did what you did. You wanted to say goodbye to the place that was your home. You are only human after all."

 

"And look how we screwed that up," Ianto sighed. "I never expected the 456 to follow us here. How did they even know I was alive?"

 

"Because a connection was made with you once you were infected with the virus. They sensed the moment both of you returned to Earth."

 

"If we had stayed travelling the universe and never came home, they would never have returned."

 

"Precisely. Right now they are only looking for revenge, but that can change at any moment which is why we have to deal with them as soon as we can. And don't even think about surrendering yourselves. They will torture you for eternity."

 

"Then how are we going to get rid of them this time."

 

"Simple! The same way you got rid of them the first time," the Doctor grinned.

 

"I'm not sacrificing another child to do it. I couldn't live with myself if I had to do that again."

 

Ianto wrapped his arms around his husband’s waist from behind, resting his chin on his shoulder, offering silent support.

 

"You won't. Like I said both of you are connected to them. You can be used as the conduits to send a construct wave back to them. I'll have to do some calculations, but using two full grown men who happen to be immortal, the feedback signal should be strong enough to not only kill the ones orbiting the planet but also those in other parts of the universe."

 

"Are you sure?" Ianto asked. It sounded like the Doctor had made up most of what he said on the spot.

 

"Dear, boy, don't you listen? I said I had to do the calculations. It may take some time, but it will get done. I then have to build the necessary equipment so we can send back the signal. Shame they dismantled the other one. I'll contact you when everything is complete. Relax and enjoy being newlyweds. Congratulations by the way. Many years of happiness. This will all be over soon." The Doctor swept out of the room before either man could say anything.

 

The Doctor had a plan and there was no option but to go along with it. All they could do was wait until the Time Lord was ready for them. Over the next few days Jack and Ianto made sure they kept a low profile which included switching hotels to avoid an irate Gwen. Neither doubted that she would tear apart Cardiff looking for them, but they were better at hiding and it helped that the couple never left the room until four days later the Doctor showed up and told them it was time.

 

**_To be continued..._ **

**A/n:** When I started posting this I did not realise how perfectly this would time with introducing the new Doctor.


	12. Chapter 12

**_Chapter 12_ **

 

The three men exited the hotel and walked toward the bay, unaware of being watched by two women who wanted answers from Jack.

 

Ianto pulled the hood of his hoodie up to cover his face. It was his tiny way to rebel against the rules placed upon him, going out in public without his chip activated, but still hiding his face.

 

Gwen gasped in shock when she saw the third man, John Frobisher, looking chummy with Jack and his dear husband who seemed to be hiding. She wanted to believe that it was because he was embarrassed to be seen with a man who drugged a pregnant woman who happened to be the sister of a deceased lover. Those thoughts were banished when the couple held hands and Jack leaned in and gave his husband a quick kiss and he did not pull away. The couple instinctively leaned in toward one another and Jack was laughing at what was ever said to him by the hooded man.

 

The trio were out of earshot, but the body language did not look adversarial and it looked like Frobisher was enjoying the interactions between Jack and Alonso and it looked like he was joking with them. Yet, she noticed there was a distinct tension between them all.

 

"What the hell?" Gwen said, finally able to vocalise a fraction of what she was thinking.

 

"Who are those other two?" Alice asked. When she had finally tracked down the only other known survivor of Torchwood yesterday, Alice did not expect that Gwen had heard from her father and that he was back in Cardiff and Gwen was looking for him to deal with the 456.

 

"The one wearing the hoodie with his face covered is Alonso. He and Jack are married." Gwen narrowed her eyes as her gaze shifted toward the one person she hated more than Jack at the moment.

 

"Married?" Alice asked, surprised by the news. She had always heard her mother say that Jack took both male and female lovers, but it was the married part that shocked her most. It infuriated Alice that while everyone was left behind to pick up the pieces, he was off seducing someone and moving on. "Who's the other man?" Alice asked, sensing that Gwen was more upset about the older looking gentleman with them.

 

"John Frobisher, but he's dead. He killed his family and then himself. It's his fault, everything that happened with the 456 last time. He ordered the bomb to planted that blew up the Hub and he's the one who had you taken hostage. It's his fault Ianto is dead. Everything that happen a year and half ago is his fault." Gwen was so seething she did not care she repeated herself, but her rage made her lose track of the three men.

 

"Where'd they'd go?" Alice sounded annoyed that her father had disappeared. It was typical of him. When the going got tough, Jack got going.

 

"I think they went toward of the Pierhead Building." Gwen said as she looked in that direction, but they could have gone anywhere from there. For all she knew, the trio knew they were being followed and were misdirecting them on purpose. It had taken her four days to find the new hotel Jack was staying in, checking with every alias she knew Jack to use, but that had come up empty until she searched using the alias Ianto sometimes used. The arrogance of Jack astounded Gwen and she wondered if Jack's latest conquest knew where the name came from.

 

It was time Gwen fell back onto her roots and used good old fashioned police skills. Jack's coat was distinctive and it was the obvious thing to ask about and it did not take long to get on their trail again which lead them to an isolated area near the bay to a warehouse of sorts that was once used as an exhibition for an old BBC sci-fi series.

 

"You know we were being followed?" The Doctor pointed out as he led Jack and Ianto on a detour into the Pierhead Building.

 

"Gwen doesn't give up. Never did never will." Ianto looked back to see if she was still following and was relieved to see they were alone.

 

"Hopefully we confused her enough that she won't find us until everything is done." Jack knew their secret would be out if she did. The holographic chip in Ianto's neck would be fried if it was active while the construct wave was sent through them.

 

"Then let's get to the warehouse and get this over with. She is a tenacious one. There is another woman with her. A bit older. I didn't see her face, but I think they both want your blood, Jack. You have a way with women, don't you?" The Doctor said with a sarcastic smirk.

 

Jack shrugged, not wanting to get into it why Gwen was mad at him. He knew the Time Lord would not be happy they had to Retcon someone, who happened to be Ianto's sister, to cover up that someone saw Ianto alive.

 

They walked the rest of the way to the warehouse in tense silence interlaced with worry. The plan had to work or else there was nothing else they could do short of giving themselves over to the 456 for what no doubt would be an eternity of torture.

 

Jack's chest tightened the minute they stepped into the sparsely filled warehouse. It was almost the exact set up of Ashton Downs where he had killed Steven. The nightmare was about to be over. There was a disgusting smell that clung in the air that seemed to foretell the death that was to come.

 

"You just stand on the platform and I'll prepare everything. There are a still a few diagnostic tests I need to run." The Doctor gestured wildly toward where he needed Jack and Ianto to stand. There was no need to waste any time. The sooner this was done, the quicker this mess could be cleaned up and the blip of their return can be ironed out and fixed.

 

"Ready?" Jack asked, his stomach in a bundle of knots as he took his spot on the platform.

 

"Ready," Ianto replied, squeezing Jack's hand almost to the point of breaking it. "Are you sure?" Ianto knew this was stirring up memories of what happened with his grandson as the pain was written all over his face. "We can find another way of doing this..."

 

"No!" Jack quickly cut Ianto off. "We've got to put an end to this for good. They came back because of us. It's only right we put an end to them for good."

 

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Ianto asked sceptically of the Doctor. "They will be gone for good after this?" He had doubts about the plan working, but they had to at least try.

 

"Positive. Last time the main conduit was only a child. This time you two, full grown men, are being used. Not to mention two immortal men. The strength and range of the signal being sent back is a thousand fold stronger. It's going to kill any 456 within 5,876,345 light years give or take ten thousand light years." The Doctor said with all the assurance in the universe. Then the Time Lord's face twisted as he examined a readout on one of the screens. It changed everything they had planned for. "But if only one of you were to act as a conduit the range would be half that and you will destroy sixty five percent of the 456."

 

"Why would only one us do it? Both of us are all in for this." Jack wondered why this was being brought up now. They had agreed that for the plan to work both of them were needed.

 

"New information has come to light." The Time Lord looked sadly at Jack. He was sure that the other man had no idea what was going on inside if him. How could he break this kind of news to both of them?

 

"What kind of information?" Ianto asked annoyed as he glared disapprovingly at the Doctor.

 

"If Jack is to go through with this the foetus growing inside of him will die." There was no other way to break the news. "I'd understand if you decided to back down. Sixty five percent is a good portion of them to destroy and there is no reason to believe they will come back."

 

Neither man knew what to say. The news was a shock to say the least and neither was sure what to make of it. Having children was not something Jack and Ianto had discussed yet and now they were given a grim reality of what could happen if they chose their child over every other child on the planet.

 

Jack felt as if this was the Doctor's way of testing him. Any of the prior incarnations of the Doctor would not have shared this news with him until after the fact, but this one was giving him a choice. A position he had been put in before. A damning, impossible position. Surrendering themselves to the 456 was already ruled out as a solution.

 

"I'll give you both time to discuss what you want to do." The Doctor did not give either man time to argue and went to the far side of the room. This was not a decision to be made lightly or without a serious talk.

 

The couple looked blankly at each other for several minutes before they began to speak at the same time. "It's not worth the risk." They said in almost unison.

 

"Shit," Ianto rubbed his forehead. "I wasn't being serious when I said you were pregnant to Gwen last night. Did you know?" There was no hint of accusation in his voice, he was just curious if Jack was waiting for the right time to tell him.

 

"I had no idea." Jack sounded as surprised as he looked. He was also torn, but knew that this was the right thing to do because it was his and Ianto's return to Earth that brought the 456 back and sacrificing their child was penance for breaking the rules. "We have to end this once and for all." Despite Jack's assurance this was something that had to be done there was the obvious pain over what this choice meant. The one thing Jack never told anyone about his ability to get pregnant was that it was only possible one week every seven years.

 

"You're right." Ianto did not sound as convinced anymore. He knew how infrequent Jack's fertility period was from reading his expansive file. There was part of him that wondered if they would have another opportunity to have another child. Even though the subject of children had never been broached, in honesty it was never something that even crossed his mind until the Doctor mentioned the word foetus. "We can wait seven years." Ianto paused before he looked up at Jack. "That is if it's something you want too, when the time comes."

 

The words caught Jack off guard and his hand instinctively went for his stomach and protectively rested there. There had been countless times where he had sworn to never to do the whole pregnancy thing again, but this was Ianto and everything was always different with him. A very good different. He was the first...no...the only male lover that was not put off by his ability to get pregnant and there was his comment about waiting seven years. Ianto wanted children with him and in that moment he wanted to have Ianto's children as well. "We'll have a lot of time to practice making one until then and that's the best part." Jack turned on the flirting charm. It was his default defence mechanism to hide the pain. "What do you say we save this planet one last time?"

 

"Let's do it." Ianto said determinedly, but with a sad smile as he watched Jack's hand over his stomach. "One last sacrifice," he said soft as tears pricked the corner of his eyes and his left hand came to a rest on top of Jack's, their rings touching each other with their matching midnight black colour for all encompassing sadness.

 

"We're ready now, Doctor," Jack looked up, taking a deep breath before kissing Ianto for luck.

 

After the kiss broke, the couple rested their foreheads against one another, drawing on each other's strength. They knew they would never been able to get through this alone, but together they were unstoppable.

 

"All right," the Doctor said with an acknowledging nod as he went back to the console and began reading the program to activate the construct wave. "Whenever you are ready," he said with his hand on the enter key, waiting for the go ahead.

 

"We're ready."

 

"Let's get rid of these bastards."

 

Without any other fanfare the Doctor pushed the enter key and it was the beginning of the end for the 456.

 

The children of the world simultaneously stopped and began to scream in the same tone while in a warehouse in the far reaches of a Cardiff Bay, two immortal men screamed with them as their bodies twitched violently and eventually blood began to ooze from their ears, nose and mouths. After what seemed like an eternity to the doctor, it all stopped and Jack and Ianto collapsed to the ground, unmoving. Dead and still holding hands.

 

It was almost thirty minutes before Jack gasped back to life and saw the Doctor looking at him, face full of concern.

 

"I was beginning to worry. Maybe I should still be worried." Twelve had started to worry when the pair of immortals did not wake after ten minutes. He was not certain how the whole reviving thing worked and Ianto had yet to wake up.

 

Jack went into immediate panic mode when he saw Ianto was still dead. "How long was I out for?" He moved and placed his husband's head into his lap and gently slapped his cheek. "Time to wake up gorgeous." He looked up at the Doctor for an explanation, hoping he'd have answers why Ianto had not revived yet.

 

"Thirty minutes." The Time Lord said plaintively, wondering if he had miscalculated the strength of the wave and somehow drained the life force from the young man. "Just give it a few more minutes before we panic. I'm sure it will be fine."

 

Jack rolled his eyes at the comment that was something that one of the prior regenerations would have said to him. At the moment it did not feel like everything would be fine. "Hey, Ianto, it's time to wake up." Jack began to forcefully shake his partner, but Ianto remained cold and dead.

 

**_To be continued..._ **


	13. Chapter 13

**_Chapter 13_ **

 

It was another two agonising minutes before Ianto gasped back to life and saw Jack's relieved face looking down at him. Before Ianto could even say anything Jack grabbed and kissed him as if it was their first kiss. Ianto did not even notice the stray tear that rolled down Jack's cheek.

 

The couple came up for air only for a brief moment before they resumed their kissing. There was something about dying and subsequently coming back to life that tightened their bond. Together they had saved the world once more. The universe's children were saved from the savage species at the expense of their own unborn child. It hurt more than either would ever admit to each other. It was as if the never ending kiss was an outlet for their grief, a way to feel alive and to celebrate life after one was deprived the chance of living.

 

"Don't scare me like that ever again."

 

"I'm sorry?" Ianto asked unaware of what happened. "Did it work? Are they gone?"

 

"They're gone," the Doctor assured the couple, relieved to see Ianto was among the living once again.

 

"Why do you look so worried?" Ianto asked. Sitting up, a wave of vertigo hit him and he flopped back into Jack's lap.

 

"It was taking you longer to come back," Jack smiled wearily as he cupped his hand against Ianto's face. "I got scared that you wouldn't wake up."

 

Just like that the insecurities Ianto thought they had banished last year were back. "I’m okay now. A little dizzy and nauseous, but okay."

 

"Comfortable?"

 

"Very much."

 

"Plan on moving anytime soon?"

 

"Not until the spinning stops."

 

"Take your time." Jack ran his fingers through his husband's hair, ignoring the impatient glare from the Doctor. Life was always a little better with Ianto's head in his lap and a bright smile showed just how much better it was.

 

Yelling could now be heard in the distance and it got closer and closer, the owners of the voices obviously looking for Jack, but neither Jack nor Ianto paid any attention as they were focused on each other.

 

"Are you okay?" Ianto reached out to touch Jack's flat stomach through his shirt. He could not explain why he felt the emptiness that he did. It did not make sense that he was feeling such grief over the loss of a life he had only known to exist for a few minutes.

 

"We'll survive. We always do," Jack replied sadly. He felt the grief as well and had so many questions. How far along was he? Was it a boy or a girl? What kind parents would they have been?

 

"That doesn't mean we aren't allowed to feel pain." Ianto slowly sat up and wrapped his arms around Jack and in turn Jack wrapped his around Ianto. They clung to each other, burying their faces into each other's neck. It was as if the world did not exist outside of their embrace.

 

They were so lost in their own world that they did not hear the Doctor calling out to them. Not that he tried too hard, knowing they needed this time to process what had happened.

 

The Time Lord took out his sonic screwdriver and pointed it at the door to unlock the door for the guests that were on their way.

 

Once the door was unlocked Alice and Gwen barrelled into the room only noticed by the Doctor. "Nice of you to join us. Why don't you come in? Don't worry we fixed everything. The 456 are gone." He quickly pointed the sonic screwdriver toward Ianto's neck to remotely activate the chip to keep his cover intact.

 

"What the hell are you doing here?" Gwen yelled and charged at the man whom she thought was John Frobisher.

 

"Who's your friend?" The Doctor tried to diffuse the situation, but stopping a raging pregnant Welshwoman was no easy task.

 

"Don't try to change the subject, Frobisher." Gwen grabbed him by the front of his jumper. "What are you doing here and why would Jack be with you?"

 

"You'll have to ask them," he nodded toward where Jack and Ianto still only saw each other. The Doctor surmised it was all a part of the grieving process. Humans and their complex emotions.

 

Gwen turned to the men who seemed not to notice they were no longer alone and were holding onto each other as if when they let go the other would disappear and their world would fall apart.

 

"Jack," Gwen tried to get their attention. It was just like old times, but Ianto had been replaced. There were questions she needed answered and now, but the couple clung to each other as they sat on the floor refusing to let go. She still had no idea what had transpired, but knowing Jack it had to be bad.

 

"Jack!" She called out several more times with no response.

 

"Jack. Don't ignore me!" Alice finally called out, annoyed and a bit confused by Jack's behaviour. She believed he lost the right to be called dad when he sacrificed her son.

 

"Damn it, Jack. What's wrong with you?" Gwen tried one last time starting to wonder if she was purposely being ignored.

 

"What is it?" Jack asked finally looking up, his arms still holding Ianto tightly. He flinched slightly upon seeing Alice, fresh guilt being renewed at the sight of the hatred and loathing on her face.

 

"What is going on?" Gwen had enough of not knowing what exactly was going on. "Why is Frobisher alive? He killed his family and then himself."

 

Jack took a deep breath and held onto Ianto tighter. He was still having issues coming to terms with the truth. "He is really the Doctor. When he regenerated into this form something went wrong and he wound up with amnesia. It was not until after he killed his family that he realised who he was." Jack knew he had to lie, as telling the truth would mean explaining who Alonso really is. A simple lie to throw Gwen off the truth was the only way out.

 

"That's enough, Captain." The Doctor warned, playing along with Jack's lie. He thought bring Ianto into the mix would help authenticate the truth Gwen and Alice needed to believe. "Mr. Frame, what about the deal we had? Are you going back on it?" The Time Lord questioned. He never bothered to ask if the couple planned on leaving Earth. He would hate to make good on the consequence for breaking his rules made when he brought Ianto back to life.

 

"No, he's not!" Jack said forcefully. "We came only for a short visit. We both were homesick."

 

Ianto lifted his head and dried his face. "We will be leaving today. I see now we should never have come back." He tried not to look at Alice who clearly recognised him from the graveyard. She looked like she was about to call him out about their meeting, but he was grateful for Gwen's pit bull attitude as she jumped in before Alice could speak.

 

"Homesick?" Gwen butted in. "He's not from this planet. How can Alonso be homesick?"

 

Jack and Ianto looked at each other and then at the Doctor. Both hated to lie to Gwen about everything and wished they could tell her the truth.

 

"May we tell her?" Ianto asked. He was worried that if he did not abide by the Doctor's terms that he'd be put into cold storage on the TARDIS or that the space time continuum could collapse in on itself.

 

"Only if you are a hundred percent sure she'd keep your secret. Can you be certain of that? You and only you can make that decision, Alonso. Jack has no say in this."

 

Ianto looked at Jack and sighed. He knew the answer was no. Ianto knew Gwen would never be able to keep the secret from Rhiannon once he told Gwen he was alive. The bigger threat was that his sister would break the Retcon and she'd have to live with the memory he had drugged her. That was not a risk Ianto was willing to take. "Never mind," he said with defeat and tightly gripped Jack's hand. Tears threatened to fall, but he pushed them as far back as he could. "It was a mistake coming here. We brought the 456 with us and now they are gone..." Ianto could go no further and buried his face into Jack's shoulder once more.

 

"We thought we were missing something, but as long as there is no place here for us then this world is no longer our home. Home is wherever we are together and with us it's going to change many times through the years." Jack hated to show his sentimental side in public, but there were times it was needed.

 

The immortal men stood up, resigned to the fact Earth was no longer their home.

 

Gwen's head began to throb as she tried to make sense of what was going on. Since joining Torchwood it took a lot to confuse her but nothing made sense. She felt the veins in her temple pulse and throb. "Amnesia? You are buying that line?"

 

"I didn't have a choice. If it wasn't for him, we would not have defeated the 456 once and for all." Jack tried to reason with Gwen. He averted his gaze away from his daughter, unable to stomach the way she looked at him as if he was the worst sort of monster to have ever lived.

 

"How did you defeat them?" Alice asked as she noted the similar set up from when her life was irrevocably ruined. "Whose child did you murder this time?" She wanted to make sure her feelings regarding Jack were clear and that they were of loathing and disgust.

 

Ianto narrowed his eyes at the low blow Alice took at her father. She was obviously in a great deal of pain over losing her son and was taking it out on the person she blamed for his death. The comment caused Ianto to switch to overprotective mode and he stood between father and daughter. "We sacrificed our own unborn child and ourselves too."

 

It looked like the revelation had the desired effect on Alice and Gwen. At least Gwen seemed to genuinely be upset, but with Alice once the shock wore off, it morphed into something ugly and scary.

 

"How can you even compare an unborn child to a child that I actually gave birth to and raised for his entire short life? How can you even speak of knowing what that pain feels like?" Alice yelled and she repeatedly poked Ianto in the chest. "And the coward hides behind you. It's typical Jack Harkness."

 

Jack felt as small as any one person could feel at the moment. There was really nothing he could say that would make any difference but he moved beside his husband just to prove he was not hiding.

 

"Aren't you going to say anything?" Alice challenged her father to say something...to say anything.

 

"What do you want me to say? What could I possibly say to you? You're always going to hate me for what I did." And there were days Jack hated himself for that choice.

 

"You were in no position to make a decision like that while you were grieving."

 

"That played no role in why I did what I had to do. I had no choice."

 

"Bollocks, you had a choice. And bollocks that grief played no part in it. What was that man to you? Was he someone you strung along? I watched the video from Thames House. How old was that kid you lead to his death?"

 

"Does it matter? The answers are not going to change how you see me."

 

Ianto thought perhaps he should answer the questions posed by Alice. Being perceived as an outsider, her realised he was probably best suited to answer them and give Alice some measure of closure. "Ianto Jones was twenty six when he died. Jack did not string him along..."

 

"And if you want the truth, I can never put into words what Ianto means to me."

 

"Jack killed himself twenty times between the time the 456 were defeated the first time and when he met me. He was at such a low point from losing Ianto and Steven. He made the tough choice that no one should have been put in the position to make. It's a position Jack has been put in countless times. He makes the choices no one else would make. The ones that have to be made and he is given grief for it. I'm sorry you lost your son, but there are millions of children getting to live because of him."

 

"He's got you brainwashed." Alice did not want to hear what a stranger had to say on the issue. "You have no idea what happened."

 

Ianto shrugged. "I know more than you think. It's useless to reason with you. You'll see whatever you want to see. No amount of explanations or apologies will ever be enough."

 

The Doctor cleared his throat, knowing everyone would continue to devolve into bickering children if they were left to their own devices. "Alonso...Jack. We need to go. We've all overstayed our welcomes."

 

"That's it. Are you just going to leave again?" Alice asked angrily.

 

"What reason do I have to stay?" Jack asked with all honesty. "You are never going to forgive me for what happened to Steven. I will always, always hate myself for what I did. What I was left with no choice but to do. I'm not going to stay here to be a punching bag for your anger. It's really for the best that we leave. There is still so much of the universe to see."

 

"That's the coward's way out. Why can't you stay and face what you did?"

 

"Truthfully, I have no choice but to leave. If I were to stay it would mean losing my husband. So if that makes me a bastard, so be it. I'm choosing a long life with him." Jack doubted this Doctor would really put Ianto in stasis if they chose to stay, but Alice and Gwen did not need to know that.

 

"Why would you lose him?" Gwen kept her contempt for Alonso to a minimum. She reminded herself that all that mattered was that he made Jack happy. "He's making you choose between home and him?" She could not help but to point an accusatory finger at Alonso.

 

"If by him, you mean me, then you are correct." The Doctor spoke up. "I'm the reason these two cannot live on this planet."

 

"What does that mean?" Gwen glared at the Time Lord, still having difficulty separating him from what Frobisher did to all of them. She wanted to smack Jack for helping the man who all but ruined their lives.

 

"It's part of the deal I made with Alonso after I saved him three years ago. He's supposed to be dead and needs to stay that way." The Doctor explained in simple terms, giving what he could of the truth and since it had been only a year and half since Ianto died, none of them could make a connection.

 

"Then how did you come to meet away from this planet?"

 

"I orchestrated it. I thought they would have a lot in common and I was right. They both found love again after having it previously ripped violently from them." The Time Lord tried to usher the other men toward the exit, but the stony glares from both woman stopped him from going too far.

 

It was odd to Jack that his regeneration seemed to really worry about his well being and wondered if it had to do with the way this Doctor ruined his life when he was human and now he was overcompensating for the heartache caused by those five days in September. But Jack took it in his stride and chose not to worry about it too much because the sooner they got away front his planet the sooner the Alonso disguise could be put away and he could have his Ianto back. "Our old lives don't exist here anymore. We just want to start a new life together. We were given a second chance at love and that can't work here."

 

"You don't deserve to be loved," Alice spat out, venom spewing forth.

 

"But I am loved." Jack snapped, gritting his teeth. "And there is nothing that will change that. Go ahead call me every horrible name you want if you think that will make you feel better. Holding on to the hate will only destroy you in the end."

 

Alice did just that, calling her father every horrible name she could imagine. She cried and hit him and Jack stood and took it all without reacting.

 

Five minutes into Jack 's tongue lashing Gwen started to walk away, giving parent and child the time they needed even if that meant sacrificing her goodbye with her friend. She gave Alonso and the Doctor a curt nod before leaving. What could she really say to either of them? It was not as if she would she see either man again. Before she walked out of the warehouse, Gwen looked sadly at her friend wishing for one more moment with him, but that was not going to happen. She shed a few tears as she walked back toward her car. Their goodbye a year ago would have to serve as their farewell.

 

Ianto and the Doctor retreated to the far end of the room to give Alice and Jack their space.

 

"You want to there for him, don't you?" The Doctor leaned over to his fidgeting companion.

 

"Of course I do. She refuses to see anyone's pain but her own." Ianto looked down and kicked at the ground. "But I know he needs to do this on his own." It pained Ianto to see Jack being belittled and abused and not being able to do anything about it.

 

Nearly an hour later, Alice finally collapsed exhausted into Jack's arms in tears. "I'm sorry," Jack whispered, tears streaking down face.

 

Alice looked dead into her father's eyes, no emotion reflected in her dark pools of nothingness. She wiped her eyes and walked away with nothing left to say to Jack. The anger was gone and replaced with nothingness. Jack was nothing. Just like a passing stranger in the street.

 

Once Alice was gone, Ianto dropped his hologram and took his place at Jack's side, wrapping his arms around his husband as tight as possible, lending his strength and offering all the comfort possible.

 

"Where is home for men who have no home?" Jack asked feeling as small as a gnat.

 

"Wherever we are together," Ianto answered simply and from the heart.

 

With those four words the book closed on their past and a new one opened for the endless future that was before them.

 

 ** _The End_**...Epilogue to follow


	14. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What became of Jack and Ianto after they defeated the 456?

**_Epilogue_ **

 

_69 Years Later_

 

The rankles of old age were not kind to Gwen Cooper-Williams. She had been bed bound for nearly a year and there was nothing she could do to help herself. Her children and grandchildren took turns being her nurse. In all she and Rhys had three children: one daughter- Anwen and two sons- Ianto and Jack. Then there were ten grandchildren and fifteen great grandchildren.

 

There was not a day that went by that Gwen did not think about Jack and Torchwood. It was the last thing keeping her alive. Rhys had passed seven years prior, quietly and peacefully in his sleep. Gwen was grateful for the long and happy life they had, but there had always been a small piece missing and that piece was Jack Harkness.

 

The elderly woman had just drifted off for a nap when there was a quiet knock at the door.

 

"Mum, are you up?" Anwen asked, opening the door a crack.

 

"I am now," she replied weakly.

 

"Sorry. I'll let you sleep." Anwen began to close the door.

 

"It's all right. Is something wrong?"

 

"There are two blokes here to see you. One says his name is Jack Harkness..."

 

Gwen did not need to hear more. "Let him in!" She smiled for the first time in nearly a decade and her eyes sparkled with life not seen since her Torchwood years.

 

Gwen was positively giddy when Jack walked into the room, but her happiness waned slightly when she saw Jack was not alone. Of course Anwen had said there was two of them, but Gwen did not want to hear it and her happiness completely faded when she realised who Jack had come with. "You brought him? Why do you have to parade that thing in front of me on my last days."

 

Ianto and Jack exchanged sad looks as they reached for the other's hand, combining their strength.

 

"We came to say goodbye and to tell you the truth." Jack said.

 

"Truth? The truth about what? I just want to remember everything the way it used to be."

 

"That's why we came here," Ianto moved to sit on the edge of the bed and reached for the old woman's hand.

 

"Don't touch me," Gwen snapped, yanking her hand away. After all these years, she still held firm the belief that Alonso had done something to Jack.

 

"Gwen, please listen to what he has to say," Jack pleaded.

 

"Alonso Frame is not real he is made up to keep who I really am a secret. I died a little over seventy years ago and no one but Jack is supposed to know I'm alive." Ianto reached up and swiped his thumb over the back of back of his neck, deactivating the holographic chip.

 

Gwen watched in shock as the person changed into someone she knew she should not be seeing. "No. It can't be. Jack, what's going on?" She ignored Ianto and looked to her Captain for answers.

 

"It's possible. Trust me it's possible. After I left Earth 70 years ago and went to that cruiser to drown my sorrows I ran into the Doctor and he gave me one of the best things I could ever ask for," Jack grinned resting his hands on Ianto's shoulders. "We got a second chance to fix what we screwed up the first time. Besides who else would be able to put up with me for seventy years and not be ready to run?"

 

"But he still looks the same," Gwen said in awe of what was before her.

 

"It was the only way to bring me back. I'll live forever like, Jack. We are seeing how long we can take this eternity thing with us."

 

"I'm sure we can make it. Next week will be 69 years of marriage...which reminds me," Jack got that mischievous glint in his eye when he was up to no good. It was that flirty lascivious grin that meant if he and Ianto were alone it would be sexy times. "I was thinking that 69 being such a fun number we should try some things out when we get home..."

 

"Of course you were," Ianto said dryly as he rolled his eyes. "As long as Ginny didn't decide to move home again and take over the house."

 

"Have you two been living on Earth?"

 

"No. We've been on the planet we got married. It's always sunny and warm..." Ianto began to answer but was cut off by an excited Jack.

 

"We spend most of our time naked."

 

Gwen blushed at the admission and Jack earned a swift smack to the arm from his dear husband.

 

"We have a private beach with lots of trees and spaces for naked hide and seek."

 

"Some things never change. Some people never change."

 

"Is that a complaint I hear, Mr. Jones?"

 

"Not at all. No complaints."

 

"If it was I might have to punish you."

 

"Really?" Ianto raised his eyebrows. "Maybe it was a complaint. What kind of punishment are we talking about?"

 

"Tying you to the hammock with the edible ropes."

 

"Hmm. I take it back. I was definitely complaining."

 

Gwen laughed as the men got lost in their own world of playful sexual banter. It was like old times and it warmed her heart to see how strong their love still was, but there was something that bothered her. "You two are right bastards. You never said anything all these years. You couldn't let me know you were alive."

 

"I couldn't. We couldn't say anything. Jack is supposed to be the only one who knows I'm alive." Ianto said as tactfully as possible. "We shouldn't be here now, but we had to say our final goodbye."

 

"Oh, come on, Ianto, you can say it. I couldn't live without you." After all his time Jack was not afraid to admit that fact.

 

"That's simplifying it and making it sound very sappy."

 

"What's wrong with being sappy? I recall you crying when our children were born."

 

"You cried too."

 

"You have children?" Gwen jumped into the conversation the first chance she got. They were talking like twins again and it always had been difficult to get a word in when they did.

 

Both men nodded and smiled like any proud parent would.

 

"Four sons and a daughter."

 

"The boys, Kyle, Oliver, Ian and Thomas, take after Ianto. Imagine five sets of eyes rolling at me in unison when I get in trouble. It is creepy and I love every moment of it." Jack laughed heartily. Family life really agreed Jack. "Though it will be hard to explain to the grandkids why grandpas look younger than mummy and daddy."

 

"And our daughter, Ginny, takes after Jack, which means she's been quite the handful and often in trouble."

 

Watching the couple's faces light up when they talked about their children, Gwen knew it was too late to be angry and hold a grudge for being kept in the dark. "I'm happy for the two of you. This is what I always wished it to be like for both of you. Make the most of time you have even it's forever. "

 

"We have been. I don't think our relationship would have worked with Torchwood," Ianto admitted reluctantly. "But being away from it all and not worrying about saving the planet we've had the chance to really enjoy life and each other. We haven't wasted a single moment of this second chance we've been given."

 

"And here we are seventy years later and more in love than ever. It's been easier to express my feelings, knowing I won't have to watch Ianto die one day." Jack winced, regretting using the word die to a woman who was about to go any day.

 

"It's okay, Jack. I've lived a long full life. I'm not afraid to die and I'm happy that I had the chance to see you both one last time. Come here," Gwen started to cry and opened her arms to both men.

 

Jack, Ianto and Gwen shared on last hug before Gwen took her last breath, dying in the arms of her friends. She went out with a smile on her face and tears of joy staining her wrinkled face.

 

The memories and stories of Torchwood would fade from Earth's history, twisting and changing until the stories no longer resembled the truth and eventually the stories died off all together.

 

However, far away from Earth, the stories become legends, every child looking up to and wanting to become like the two heroes of the tales. Even there the stories change and the names that started off as Jack and Ianto become Iosanto and Jacques by the 51st century and they sparked a burning desire in a child from the Boeshane Peninsula to become a Time Agent, wanting to follow in his heroes footsteps. And that boy succeeded in becoming the first person ever to join the agency from Boeshane.

 

Little did he know that it was his destiny to become Jacques and that Iosanto was the professor from the Agency academy that laughed off his advances for a better grade in his Earth History class.

 

There were times where Jack wanted to reach out and guide his younger self away from the path of trouble and away from John Hart, but one look at his husband of thirty centuries and Jack knew he could not give up one second of their time together.

 

The eternal love of Ianto Jones and Jack Harkness extinguished only when the last star in the universe burned out.

 

**_The End!_ **


End file.
